Opening The Door: Interview with smartphone filmmaker Giordano Cagnin
Giordano Cagnin’s stunningly beautiful travel video Opening The Door is an official selection at this year’s MoMo Film Fest.
“A few months after President Obama gave his historical speech in Havana in front of Raoul Castro, I went to Cuba all alone. For two weeks I shot a lot of material with my Iphone, the app Filmic Pro and a DJI Osmo. When I came back I edited it imagining a semi-desert island, still suspended in time and focused on Obama’s words, while people were listening through speakers all over the Nation.” Giordano Cagnin
Notes from the Jury: “Simplicity, calm and beauty. There is a lovely stillness within this film. Everyone and everything finds stillness to listen to this speech.”
We asked Giordano Cagnin some questions about the making of the film:
What is the story behind your film?
It happened that I went to Cuba all by myself. I was traveling alone for the very first time in my life. I came from a period of suffering and I needed to stay alone.
When I was there, with almost no internet connection, in a place where everything happens moment by moment, I had a sort of revelation that enlightened the darkness. I started diving into happiness and flow with life.
Cuba helped me a lot. There is something special there – cubans have a peculiar, almost divine contact with life. They always find a solution to their problems and never get angry. They say: “No pasa nada”: everything is ok. They are very curious and opened to others.
At the same time I started filming around with my Iphone 7 Plus, which became a sort of witness of my inner feelings in those two weeks.
What were the steps which led you to make it?
When I came back to Italy, I dropped in another energetic circle of my life. I “opened a door”. I felt that I didn’t want to make the classic holiday/travel movie as I intended before, so I let all the material in the hard drive and I “stepped away” from it.
Months later, I was on YouTube and came across Obama’s speech, the one he gave in Cuba in front of Raoul Castro.
Obama was trying to build a bridge of dialogue between USA and Cuba, and somehow both were “opening a door”, putting their ego and their past aside, even if they were recognizing their differences.I felt a spark: that was what happened with my life when I was in Cuba. I immediately started to organize the material. I edited the speech and made the short. It took a couple of weeks to edit it.
Why did you choose a smartphone to film with.
The smartphone was the ideal compromise in terms of quality and lightness in terms of transportability and easiness of use.
What equipment did you use?
I used an Iphone 7 Plus and a DJI Osmo. I’ve also used Filmic Pro, a great app. I shot in log mode and I edited with Final Cut X on an iMac.
How much did you know about filmmaking before you made this film?
I am a dancer and I live in Rome,but I’ve always been in love with filmmaking. I had a degree in Cinema History in Rome and a Summer Film Certificate at Tisch School, NYU.
What did you like about filming with a phone? What were the downsides, if any?
I love the quality, especially in external shootings. Filmic Pro helps you to use the Iphone as if it was a camera. If you’re good enough with the settings and the cinematography, when you’re watching something on a smartphone or a desktop, you can almost find any difference with real cameras.
Of course, if you see it on a big screen it’s different, but at the end of the day the story is king. From my experience, the only issue was the battery life.
Filmic Pro is a super great app but it slows down the battery rather quickly. The external battery was a solution but you cannot use it with the Osmo 1. This problem has been solved with Osmo’s second generation because you can charge the iPhone directly on Osmo.
Has making the film changed your life in any way?
It gave me the consciousness that I can do something that can be appreciated outside Italy. Anyway the important thing is that you have to know what is your intent, then set a goal within yourself and be very honest when you ask yourself if you achieved that inner target. Usually I fail in this moment, but if the answer is yes then you find the force to submit the film.
How successful was the film, personally and in gaining an audience for your work.
When “Opening the door” was selected for the Filmic Pro Contest I was very surprised – I made the short with really no expectations. In terms of gaining audience I had several comments from other filmmakers who asked me technical questions. Of course I answered to all of them. Anyway I am not very good in networking.
Looking back on the movie, is there anything you’d have done differently?
No. I am looking forward for my next one. I am writing a short feature story.
How important are film festivals that give these kind of films a platform for you?
They are very important, in the next years they will grow more and more and they will have more and more attention. We will see that festival like this one, will launch films that will be nominated even at the Oscars.
“Tangerine” screened at Sundance, was shot with an Iphone 5s and Filmic Pro, “Unsane”by Soderbergh, filmed with two Iphone 7 Plus and Filmic Pro, was released in cinemas through 20th Century Fox and also “Searching for Sugar Man”, who won the Oscar as best documentary, partly used an Iphone with the app 8mm.
Isn’t that great?
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