Un Dia Solitario en Invierno
A Lonely Day in Winter - 2022
Written and Directed by Santiago Cantu
Writer/Director: Santiago Cantu
Music: Marcelo Cantu
Runtime: 1hr and 3min
Genre: Existential Drama
Complete film:
During the winter of 2022 I had a lot of time to work on filming, especially considering how the pandemic lockdown was still going on. I initially started recording a couple of test shots, messing around with an anamorphic lens for the phone. However, these shots slowly formed scenes, which they then began to form a narrative. I decided to take this as an opportunity to try and make a feature length film.
The film’s premise is simple, following a high school student struggling with the loss of his brother. Throughout the story, the main character contemplates his purpose in life, looking for ways he could live a happy life, while also exploring the grief of his brother’s death. These plot lines collide deep into the movie when the main character gives up, believing there is nothing more that will give him meaning.
In my process I worked on capturing emotions through the atmosphere of the film, using the ambient score, minimal editing, and dramatic lighting. I improved significantly in my film composition in order to create engaging and intentional images, and I gave my brother the opportunity to score the film. There are many flaws within the film, but it was still an incredible step in my filmmaking journey, and I couldn’t be proud of this work
