PROJECT DATA
PRODUCTION COMPANY
A FLOR DE PIEL / SKIN DEEP
Molinera Cine Co-production with Samara Ibrahim Hakim / Leandro Cรณrdova
Mexico 90min Fiction
Contacts:
Elisa Miller +521 55 50 50 55 42 elisamillerencinas@gmail.com Samara Ibrahim Hakim +521 55 25 59 05 45 samaraibrahimhakim@gmail.com Leandro Cรณrdova zatancito@gmail.com Paulina del Paso +521 55 20 88 80 87 paulinadelpaso@gmail.com
LOGLINE
Nineteen-year old Anna Carmina arrives in Mexico City at her aunt Emma’s house, a devout catholic. She starts working in a bakery and experiences her sexual awakening. After getting sexually involved with Leo one of the bakers, she goes for her boss Ulysses, who soon after humiliates her in front of everyone. Anna surrenders herself to a world of pleasure that turns dark when everybody calls her a slut. Anna somatises her guilt by means of a skin disease (psoriasis) that slowly covers her entire body at the same time that her sexual fantasies become more and more tormented.
PLOT SUMMARY
Anna Carmina (19) is a shy adolescent with big eyes and a pretty smile. She arrives at her aunt Emma’s house in Mexico City to start a new life. She plans to study but first decides to work in a bakery for a while. Aunt Emma (70), old fashioned and very religious, is strict about the house rules and warns Anna about keeping away from men. Anna on the contrary is eager to live new experiences and has already set her eye on her boss Ulysses (35), with whom she fantasizes although he ignores her. Anna’s first sexual desires appear at the same time as a strange flaky scab on her head. In the bakery her girlfriends talk about sex and men, Anna learns a thing or two and decides to loose her virginity with Leo (20) one of the bakers, a funny guy who makes her laugh. Her sexual debut is tender but not very satisfying and yet from this moment on Anna changes, she somehow starts looking more like a woman and less like a girl. Anna becomes the queen of cakes and jellies and becomes very popular in the bakery, Ulysses starts noticing her. Aunt Emma discovers Anna is seeing a man and has a fit ending in her praying to God to get rid of the devil that has entered into her niece’s body and mind. Anna’s sexual desires get more intense as do her feelings of guilt. She channels her sexual energy in strange nightmarish dreams and somatizes her guilt in a skin (psoriasis) that slowly starts to cover her whole body. As Christmas draws closer Anna’s feelings for Ulysses grow stronger so she eventually leaves Leo and has a passionate sexual encounter with Ulysses. Ulysses just sees Anna as an opportunity for a quick fuck, it turns out he is to be engaged to Blanca (32) one of Anna’s friends who works at the bakery. Anna is confused and upset by this news. On Christmas Eve, Ulysses, who is drunk, makes a pass at Anna, she surrenders to his touch and is later exposed by him. He tells everyone she seduced him. Jealous, Leo gets into a fight because of this and is fired. Anna is labeled a slut and everyone in the bakery turns their back on her. Suddenly everything Anna has built starts to crumble.
Anna’s psoriasis gets worse and she starts to loose all self-confidence. Back home her aunt falls ill and is taken to hospital, Regina the maid blames Anna. Ulysses tries to have another fling with Anna but is disgusted when he discovers the psoriasis on her breasts, he sends Anna to he ham and sausage area where she has to deal with annoying customers. At work everyone judges her and treats her like shit. Even the guard in the bakery tries to get a blowjob off of her, because he has heard that is what she likes. Aunt Emma gets worse. The downward spiral ends with Anna leaving her job and getting totally wasted in a night club and waking up the next day half naked in her aunts living room and not remembering what happened the night before. That same morning her aunt dies and Anna has to start emptying the house. At last alone in almost bare house, stripped of all religious images, Anna masturbates and has her first orgasm. She experiences a spiritual kind of inner voyage and awakens the next day to find she has shed all her psoriasis. She packs her things, makes a crème caramel into which she puts 2 spoons of her dead skin and leaves the house. After handing in the keys to the house she goes to the bakery. In the bakery everyone is surprised to see Anna looking so good. She walks into Ulysses office and gives him the crème caramel he tastes it and smiles. He then tries to make a pass at her but she clearly pushes him away. Anna then proceeds to say goodbye to everyone and walks out triumphant.
TREATMENT
Montage between dream and reality: Anna Carmina (19) sleeps on a bus heading to Mexico City. The man beside her gently runs his hand over her leg without awakening her. Anna dreams that she is being submitted to the punishment of sitting over an ant’s nest with her sex exposed. When the man’s hand reaches underneath her skirt Anna suddenly wakes up agitated. The man quickly pulls backs his hand and pretends to be sleep. Perplexed Anna is not sure what has happened. The bus reaches Mexico City’s North bus Station. Anna gets off the bus and walks through the bus station. She is of thin complexion, fragile looking, long hair and big eyes. Shy and yet full of curiosity, expectations and dreams Anna ventures into the city in a Taxi. She arrives at her aunt Emma’s (70) house. Aunt Emma a very conservative lady lives in a flat upholstered in religious iconography. Accustomed to her daily routine; Regina (55) her maid goes everyday to cook her meals and wash her clothes, she is annoyed by Anna’s presence and does not give her a warm welcome. Bluntly she sets a strict set of rules, one of which: no male friends allowed. Anna plans to study in the National University, but decides to work first to make some money. She tries getting a job in a bakery nearby, but is told she lacks experience. That same night Anna makes a delicious crème caramel with which she seduces the managers’ taste buds and gets hired. Ulysses (35), is the manager of the bakery, he is good looking, strong and very masculine, Anna falls for him straight away. At her first day at work Anna becomes friends with Gini (23) a friendly and chubby girl that immediately notices that Anna likes Ulysses and advices: “Never shit where you eat” meaning don’t mess with anyone at work. It seems that Ulysses is dating another of the girls in the shop: Blanca (32) good looking and bossy. Anna is not too sure about this, as that same day she sees Blanca making out with the guard, a passionate encounter that Anna observes fascinated.
At home, Anna tells her aunt, and nosy Regina, about her new job and her new friends. Regina tells Anna what is said in her hometown about what happens to women who have sex outside of marriage: they bleed to death. That night Anna masturbates thinking of Ulysses but falls asleep before she comes. She dreams that her bed is flooded in blood coming from her sex. When she wakes up she finds a little spot of menstrual blood on her sheets. While washing the sheet, she looks at herself in the mirror and finds a strange spot on her scalp, a wound with a fine white layer covering it. Anna scratches it and a kind of dandruff flake falls off. Anna combs her hair so as to cover the wound. In the locker room Gini paints Anna’s nails while they chit chat. At some point she gets distracted and daydreams with Ulysses, because of this she burns all her days’ work. She is scolded by the head baker and goes out to cry to the patio out back where she meets Leo (20) a funny but not so cute guy, who immediately makes her laugh. Back in the locker room Anna overhears Blanca telling the rest of the girls that the size of a man’s foot is equal to the size of his penis. The girls all laugh, Anna laughs too. Leo walks Anna home. Anna is shy and clumsy in her conversation. Outside aunt Emma’s house Anna notices that Leo has very big feet, this makes her blush and laugh slightly. From the window, Regina spies at Anna talking to Leo, Anna notices but does not say anything.
Anna becomes the queen of cakes and jellies and slowly grows more confident and sensual too. She and Leo become closer. Although Anna is convinced that they should only be friends they end up making out at Leo’s place. Aunt Emma makes a scene when she finds out through Regina, that Anna is seeing a man and warns her of the dangers of getting involved with the opposite sex. Back in the bakery Blanca gives Anna advice on sex and men, and encourages her to experiment and try everything. She also explicitly tells her not to be afraid to try another dick, “The second one is always better”. Blanca does not know that Anna is still a virgin. As the days pass Leo gives Anna small presents until he wins her over. Anna loses her virginity with Leo. It is true: Leo has a big penis that scares Anna a little bit but they end up having sex. Altough Anna enjoys the experience and Leo is caring and attentive to her needs, she is not able to have an orgasm. That night Anna finds she has a new psoriasis outbreak under her armpits. Ulysses finds out about Anna and Leo and for some reason starts flirting with Anna who is excited and confused by Ulysses’ sudden attention. Regina finds a condom in Anna’s clothes and immeadiately tells aunt Emma who has an asthma attack. Regina is clearly anry with Anna. Regina calms aunt Emma. They hold hands and pray together and aunt Emma asks God to get rid of the evil spirit that has invaded her nieces’ mind and body.
Christmas is near, Anna is more and more attracted to Ulysses and decides to break up with Leo. One night, Ulysses asks Anna if she can stay the night shift because he has a large order of cakes for the next day. Anna calls home and tells her aunt that she will be arriving late. Anna and Ulysses have a very passionate and somewhat violent encounter on her worktable, in between the flour, whipped cream and cakes. A few days later Blanca arrives at work with the news that Ulysses has given her an engagement ring. Completely overwhelmed and confused Anna goes up to the rooftop of the bakery to cry. There she bumps into Leo with who se has a quick snog to over come her sadness. She does not tell Leo why she is so upset. Later Anna tries to talk to Ulysses but he avoids her. On Christmas Eve there is a party at work. Leo is excited because he believes he has gotten back together with Anna. Ulysses has one too many drinks and callas Anna to his office. He tries to convince her that what happened with Blanca is not what it seems and that he is still interested in her. Anna gets anxious, Ulysses is extremely tender with her, he strokes her hair and whispers sweet things in her ear. Anna finds it hard to resist and slowly gives way. They kiss passionately, Ulysses touches her all over and she gets very turned on. Anna’s pleasure is put to a sudden stop when Ulysses asks her to give him a blowjob. Anna obeys. The experience is unpleasant for her. Ulysses comes quickly, staining Anna’s clothes, after which he is suddenly in a rush to go out to the party. Anna and Ulysses leave the office, on their way out, as Ulysses is buttoning his shirt Leo catches a glimpse of the two of them but says nothing. Ulysses heads to the party and Anna to the locker room. She is clearly upset, she feels used and dirty. Anna steps outside of the bakery and is intercepted by Gini who pulls her over to the party. Anna catches a glimpse of Leo and Ulysses taking and is intrigued by this but is interrupted by Gini once again. Gini puts a blindfold on her. Anna takes part in hitting the piñata. After the cheering of the crowd, two or three spins, hits and misses Anna takes off the blindfold to find Leo and Ulysses out of sight. Anna heads off home.
At her aunt’s house Regina has left Anna’s dinner on a plate in the kitchen, Anna is not hungry. She heads to her bedroom but on her way her aunt calls out, she needs Anna to help her go to the toilet. In the toilet Anna helps her aunt sit down, as she waits she hears someone shouting outside her window. It is Leo, who is drunk and shouting “Anna you slut!”. Aunt Emma gets nervous and asks what is happening, Anna has to calm her. That night she dreams she is at the gynaecologist, the doctors are Ulysses, Leo, her aunt and Regina, Blanca is the nurse. They all examine her vagina whilst they prepare some scary looking utensils that look like torture apparatus. When Anna awakens her psoriasis has gotten worse. Depressed Anna calls her mum who is very busy and hangs up soon. Sad an lonely and with nothing else to do, Anna accompanies her aunt to Christmas mass. The atmosphere in the church is dense and the father talks of sins and hell. Anna feels faint and goes out to catch breath. The next day back at the bakery Gini tells Anna the latest gossip: Leo has been fired because of the fight he got into with Ulysses the night of the party. Anna goes to her locker and finds the word “Slut” written on it in red lipstick. Blanca enters the locker room and heads directly towards Anna and slaps her. She’s pissed at Anna, Ulysses told her how Anna tried to seduce him that same night of the party, she tells her to keep away. Anna can’t believe her ears. Everyone in the bakery turns their back on her, even Gini. Back home, aunt Emma discovers Anna’s psoriasis and recommends she put raw meat on her damaged skin. That night Anna has a drea, where she gets covered in meat, is both sensual and repulsive. Anna is a mess and looks worse everyday. Her uniform is not well looked after, neither is her hair. Ulysses punishes her for her slackness and sends her to the ham and sausage area. There she spends all day slicing ham and other meats and dealing with annoying customers. Her work colleagues talk about her behind her back. Anna feels lonely and rejected. Aunt Emma gets ill and is taken to hospital. The next day Ulysses sends for Anna to his office. He has found out about Anna’s aunt and asks how she is. He is kind and gentile.
Anna cries on his shoulder. Ulysses takes advantage of the situation and starts caressing Anna. Overwhelmed, she gives way. Ulysses grabs her breasts and slowly starts to unbutton her blouse. As he opens her blouse he discovers the psoriasis Anna has on her breasts and reacts in a violent manner pushing her to one side disgusted. Anna leaves work late that night. On her way out the guard askes her to his guardroom, as he has something he wants to show her. She enters and to her surprise, once inside he turns around with his penis out and askes her if she wants to suck his dick “I’ve been told this is what you like�. Anna runs out in a state of shock. Back home her aunts house is dark and empty, not a soul, aunt Emma is still at the hospital. Anna cries herself to sleep in front of the television in the living room. She dreams she is in the underground. She is on a plarform waiting for the train to arrive. She notices a little girl (6) and smiles at her. Suddenly they both turn to look ar a man standing behind the little girl. He smiles at the little girl whilst he masturbates. Instead of a penis he has a dying fish in his hands desperately trying to get away. The girl starts to cry. Anna wakes up sratching herself. Her thighs are full of bleeding wounds. The sight of her wounds makes her nervous, yet she cannot stop scratching. Her scratching turns into her masturbating without coming. Anna looks worse every day she has lost her smile and walks slightly hunched over. She wears thick dark tights to cover the psoriasis on her legs and long sleeves that she is constantly pulling over her hands to cover the psoriasis that has started to appear. In the bakery Anna slices spam and other types of ham and meat. The resemblance between the texture of her hands and of the mear is disturbing. Anna is once again caller over to Ulysses office. Anna tries to tell Ulysses what happened the night before with the guard but he is not interested. He instead informs her that some clients have complain about her physical aspect. He tells her that the only work he can offer her is cleaning the back part of the bakery, toilets included. Anna takes all her belongings out of her locker. She does not bother to say goodby to anyone except Gini, who gives her a sincere hug.
Anna goes to visit her aunt at the hospital. Aunt Emma, who can barely speak, looks fragile and old. Anna gets upset by the sight of her aunt and feels compassion for her. They have a revealing conversation. Anna for once feeels she gets close to her aunt who seems to be worried about her. On her way back home from the hospital Anna takes the underground. In the train she suddenly gets claustrophobic and decides to get off some stops before. She gets down in “la zona rosa” a neighbourhood know for its night life and gay community. She walks around as if lost, until it gets dark. She ends up in a nightclub. Montage: chaos, lights, people, music. Anna feels like a stranger, she drinks to calm down and feel more integrated. She gets drunk. Anna dancing, lights, people dancing, more drinks, laughs, Anna fucking in the toilets, more dancing, more drinks, people, faces, colours, vomit in a toilet, Anna’s creepy reflexion in a mirror (the skin on her face seems to fall off in bits, she looks like shit), more drinking, more dancing, colour, blackout. Anna wakes up on the living room floor of her aunts’ house. She is half naked and her clothes are torn. The house is a mess, empty beer bottles on the floor, peanuts, crisps and cigarette buts everywhere. The front door is slightly open. Anna is confused, scared and hung over; she does not remember anything. The phone rings, it’s the hospital. Aunt Emma has just passed away. Anna calls her mum who gives her instructions on what to do. Anna goes to the hospital and bumps into Regina who is a flood of tears. Anna takes care of the paper work and collects her aunts few belongings. Back home Anna picks up all the mess. Afterward she sits down to take a break and looks around at the universe her aunt has left behind: religious images, numerous collections (dolls, spoons, miniatures, etc.) Everything seems lifeless and dark. Anna opens the curtain and lets the light in. She starts packing everything until the living room is full of boxes. She goes to the bathroom and undresses as she runs the bath. She looks at herself in the mirror. Anna see’s her whole naked body for the first time in a long while. A ray of afternoon sun gently illuminates her skin. Although she is almost completely covered in psoriasis and if seen up close her skin looks quite horrible.
From a distance her young and firm body is somehow still beautiful in this light. Anna turns and looks at her body all around, it is damaged and yet in comparison with her aunts decayed body it is full of life. Exhausted Anna cries. She slips into the bathtub and closes her eyes; she holds her breath and goes under. It is her first moment of calm in a long time. She imagines some ritual ceremony where all the characters of the story sit in a circle around her. In her bathrobe, Anna sits on the living room floor, the walls are bare but the marks of where the paintings and crosses once where stanout in a different shade. Anna leans back slightly and starts to masturbate. She begins to feel a lot of pleasure that progressively develops into a very intense orgasm. Experimental montage: a trip through the universe from micro to macro, space, a black hole: the female sex. Anna reaches the climax of her orgasm. Anna wakes up the next day naked on the living room floor. She seems peaceful after a goodnight rest. Her skin is impeccable; like new. On the floor beside her is a layer of fine powder: her dead skin. Anna no longer has any visible psoriasis, nor wounds. In the kitchen Anna prepares a crème caramel into which she puts two spoons of her dead skin. After packing her clothes and belongings, which all fit into one suitcase, Anna heads out. She meets Regina outside the building and hands her the keys with a set of instructions. They say goodbye. Anna goes back to the bakery. Everyone looks at her impressed, she looks different, radiant. She goes to Ulysses office and hands him the crème caramel. He looks surprised, almost happy. He takes the flan and tries it; he clearly likes it, he moves closer to Anna but she pushes him back. Anna says goodbye and walks out of the office. She walks up to Blanca and thanks her for everything she taught her, then goes over to hug Gini. Anna walks out triumphant and gets lost in the crowded streets of Mexico City.
DIRECTOR’S BIO FILMOGRAPHY
DOCUMENTARY - Director and Editor “Uno de tantos” (One of many) - 2014 / HD / Color / 8 min 30 “La Guerrera” (The Warrior) - 2011 / Mini DV / 16mm / HD / Color / 87 min “Ana Juliette” - 2009 / Mini DV / Color / 5min “Mucho gusto en conocerte” (Nice to meet you) - 2002 / Mini DV / Color / 27 min
Paulina del Paso is a visual artist and filmmaker who works
FICTION & EXPERIMENTAL - Director and Editor
in documentary, experimental video and photography.
“Fuerza bruta” (Force Brute) - 2015 / Color / 5 min
Graduated as film director from the Mexican film school
“Cabello largo, ideas cortas” (Long hair, short ideas) - 2013 / Color / 5 min
Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica her experimental
“Aún aquí” (Still here) - 2010 / HD / Color / 4 min
shorts and documentaries have been shown in various
“Albóndigas” (Meatballs) - 2006 / Mini DV / Color - BYN / 4 min
national and international film festivals and she has
“Malitzin” - 2004 / Mini DV / Color - BYN / 9 min (Co-Dir. con Pedro González)
participated in many collective exhibitions. Her first
“Fragmentos” (Fragments) - Nov 2003 / 35mm / Color / 14 min
feature length documentary “The Warrior” won the Gucci
“Invasión Doméstica” (Domestic Invasion) - 2002 / Mini DV / Color / 3 min
Ambulante award for best postproduction as well as
“Instructivos” (Instructions) - 2002 / Mini DV / Color / 4 min
the Zanate Festival del cine documental award for best
“Magic Silhouette” (Magic Silhouette) - 2001 / Mini DV / Color / 4 min 30
documentary. Paulina has directed and co-edited more than
“El Píncipe Azul” (Prince Charming) - 2000 / Mini DV / Color / 3 min
8 documentaries for television and various TV spots. As
“En un abrir y cerrar de ojos” (In a blink) - 1999 / Betacam / Color-BYN / 7 min
editor, apart from editing all her own work, Paulina has
“Sin pies ni cabeza” (Inside out) - 1997 / Betacam / Color / 1 min
edited documentaries features such as “About Sarah” by
“Mírame y no me toques” (Look but don’t touch) - 1994 / Betacam / Color / 6 min
Elisa Miller, the multi award winning “The Tiniest Place” by Tatiana Huezo, amongst others. Paulina lives and works in Mexico City, is a member of the SNCA (National System of Artist’s and Creators and is co-writing with Elisa Miller the script for her fiction debut “A flor de piel” (Skin deep).
PRODUCER’S BIO / FILMOGRAPHY
ELISA MILLER MOLINERA CINE elisamillerencinas@gmail.com - molinera.cine@gmail.com +52 15550505542 MEXICO CITY Elisa Miller (1982, Mexico City) lives and works in Mexico City. She studied English literature in UNAM (2002 - 2005) and graduated from CCC (Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica) as film director and scriptwriter with short film ROMA in 2008. In 2007 her short film VER LLOVER was awarded with the Palm d’Or in the International Film Festival in Cannes, the Coral in Habana Film Festival, the Ariel (Film Academy in Mexico) and best short in Morelia International Film Festival. In 2010 she founded MOLINERA. CINE an independent production house with which she has produced and co-produced several projects. FILMOGRAPHY - DIRECTOR 2006
VER LLOVER 16mm (15 mins) producer, writer & director. Awarded with PALM D’OR in CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2007.
2008
ROMA 35mm (27 mins) writer & director. Screened in Critic’s Week in Cannes Film Festival and awarded in Morelia Film Festival as best short film.
DIRECTOR - PRODUCER 2010
VETE MAS LEJOS, ALICIA experimental feature film 35mm (65 mins) Producer, writer & director.
2013
EKINOCCIO video (85 mins apron) documentary film about young mexican / american poet Ekiwah Adler Belendez. Director, camera & Production. (Now editting).
2013
ABOUT SARAH (75 mins) video documentary film about Sarah Lucas. Director, camera & producer in association with KURIMANZUTTO (Mexico City) and SADIE COLES (London).
2015
EL PLACER ES MIO (fiction 80 mins) now in post-production produced by CINEPANTERA (Mexico City). Writer, director & coproducer.
PRODUCER 2014
EL REGRESO DEL MUERTO (dir. Gustavo Gamou) Video documentary. (80 mins). Producer.
SAMARA IBRAHIM HAKIM samaraibrahimhakim@gmail.com +521 55 25 59 05 45 MEXICO CITY Screenplay writer and Content Director for Plataforma Films in Mexico City and Moviplay S.L. (Madrid) where she also worked as Producer of entertainment programs.
In 2015 Samara also finished her second commissioned fiction feature film Aquí no corre el viento and is now co-writing her third Fiction feature film, a comedy with Elisa Miller.
Her experience in screenplay writing covers all genres from Television series to game shows, passing through documentaries, short films, musicals and two commissioned feature films.
In 2016 Samara started coordinating an international television series along with producing the successful theater play Feroces (Nubes frente a un Espejo).
Samara has collaborated as a script doctor and screenplay assessor with various national and international directors and producers.
Samara is now co-producing the following projects: La carga, Amateur y Videocine. Palabra de Honor, Amateur y Videocine. A flor de piel (Skin Deep), Molinera Cine. Escandinavia, Molinera Cine y Cine México.
Between 2011 and 2013 she was Head of the Content Department of World Talent House, an International Agency of behind the camera talents. In 2014 she co-wrote the script Sabrás qué hacer conmigo, second feature film of the director Katina Medina Mora. In 2015 she associated with Mayte Ortega in the Talent Agency where she is Head of Content, Directors and Screenwriters.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
ARTISTIC STATEMENT Skin deep will be my fiction feature debut and I am excited that this rite of passage will take place by means of a film that was born from the heart and close collaboration with filmmaker Elisa Miller co-writer of the script. Together we have explored the real and imaginative universe of our lead character Ana Carmina who has incarnated some of our most personal experiences intertwined with the magic of make-believe. In this story our heroine undertakes a voyage from her loss of innocence to her discovery of carnal pleasure. It is a spiraling voyage guided by guilt, towards her darkest fantasies and sexual fears. It is a painful journey of physical and spiritual decomposition but with a light at the end of the tunnel. It is also a portrait of a hypocritical society where female sexuality is still not acknowledged. As a woman who came to live by herself in Mexico City at the age of 20, I personally experienced the judgmental stare of others. In my building the caretaker would often raise his brow when male friends came to visit me. Suddenly the feeling of freedom I so longed for and awaited in this new moment in my life was, out of the blue, invaded by a strange feeling of guilt and self-awareness of my every move regardless of not having had a religious upbringing. Along with this a certain sense of confusion seeped its’ way into my blossoming sex life. Desire, experimentation and guilt all mixed together. As time went by, luckily I grew to not care, but I am still surprised by how much weight the outside world can have on ones feelings about oneself. I have always been interested in the theme of sexuality and especially from a female point of view and the importance of liberating oneself from fear and prejudices. Mexico is a very misogynistic country with a terrifying percentage of female homicides and violence against women that go unpunished. I feel it is important to explore the theme of female sexuality as something complicated, obscure, and mysterious which can lead one though terrifying situations but which can also be a deep, extremely pleasurable and spiritual experience.
I would like to touch a wide audience, from young to old and take them through a, at times endearing, tough, awkward and bumpy ride with an uplifting ending. I believe it is important to talk and share our painful experiences and our deepest and strangest fantasies so that others can identify and not feel so alone. I hope that after having seen this film the audience can walk away feeling and believing in the importance of self-love as a strength to overcome adversity. The story has a high aesthetic and sensual value thanks to the different spaces where it takes place: the bakery with its shelves full of all sorts of pasty, colored jellies and kitsch wedding cakes, the claustrophobic house of her aunt full of religious icons and the symbolic and twisted fantasies turned into nightmares. Each one of these spaces will have it’s own particular sound design: the constant noise of the television in the aunt’s house, the machines in the bakery, the sound of people talking and the distressing atmosphere of the nightmares. There will of course be special care in the make up effects of the skin disease (psoriasis) and other fleshy gruesome details. The story is a mix between straightforward and linear storytelling mixed with the main characters’ fantasy-dreamnightmares. Which personally is the part I am most excited about as it will be very visual and full of symbols and very suggestive images along with some very explicit ones. Throughout my career as a visual artist and filmmaker I have explored various mediums and formats: experimental video, photography, documentary, animation and short fiction films. With this film I plan to put into practice a mix of all of these styles always having in mind that they work towards the story I wish to tell and making sure the film never looses its unity. I am confident that together with the other creative collaborators the result will be a film with a very personal signature.
PRODUCER’S STATEMENT
The first time I had the project Skin deep in my hands to give my feedback on the story I had a bitter sweet sensation: I was sad to think a project like this, with such a strong visual, narrative and emotional proposal, could exist without me being a part of it. Half a year later, life bought Skin deep back to me when Elisa Miller and Paulina del Paso invited me to become coProducer of this singular project that goes a step further than most conventional Mexican films which tend to repeat the same stories, with the same characters’ and storytelling techniques of the last 10 years. Skin deep is a film I long to see. Not only because of it’s different visual and narrative proposal that I motioned before, but also because it deals, in a very unique way, with the issue of occidental male chauvinism and the way women are still mistreated and judged today in our so called “modern times” because of how we live our sexuality. In the hyper competitive and globalized world we live in, center of “new and advanced technologies” where everything moves very fast, it is unheard of that women are still criticized for the manner in which we behave in society which is always pointing a finger at us or signaling our incapacity.
I personally denounce chauvinism, racism and any kind of discrimination, and this film portraits, in a subtle and elegant manner, the backward and retrograde way we still interact discriminating by gender, not only in a work ambience but also, and most importantly, on an emotional level. The brutal honesty, intelligence and narrative sensitivity of both Paulina del Paso as creator and Elisa Miller as co-writer and co-producer, seduced me to take a leap down deep into this project. I believe there is no better filmmaker, than her who knows the story she is telling and Paulina del Paso is a woman who puts all her heart into her work and stories. She lives and loves, dreams and works. She investigates and engages in her work. She dares to break paradigms and patterns. She goes all the way just has Skin deep does: she scratches till her skin bleeds. These are the kind of projects I want to be a part of. I confess that I am tired of always seeing the same kind of movies, or copies of what “films should be�. What I like about Skin deep is that it does not resemble any of this and that is precisely why I am betting on the film by Paulina del Paso and on her carrier as a filmmaker, carrier she has been building over time though different mediums, and this is why I wish to accompany her now and for a long time.
TIMELINE
PRE-PRODUCTION Summer 2017 PRODUCTION October - November 2017 POST PRODUCTION December 2017 - April 2018 PREMIERE Ready for international premier in April 2018 RELEASE October 2018
CURRENT STATUS OF PROJECT
SEPTEMBER 2016 2nd draft NOVEMBER 2016 3er draft JANUARY 2017 Final draft
PRIVATE STREAMING LINK
THE WARRIOR DOCUMENTARY / 87 min / Mini DV / Color & Black and White / 2011 http://vimeo.com/106582969 password: Guest _ 2016 www.paulinadelpaso.com