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Interview by Chris Olson
Can you tell us a little bit about your filmmaking career before Auricular Confession?
I started making music over 10-15 years ago. Just experimenting with ideas and releasing it on my own.
About 2012, I felt confident enough to start creating music videos. I always visualized scenarios while recording songs so it was pretty natural for me to just jump in.
Around 2017, a friend lent me his camera which was nothing special really but it served its purpose and I decided to do some sort of an experimental film with my mother during her last years alive. It turned out to be my first short film called Mother's Milk and I loved the concept of what I was creating at that moment.
I think I've always been meaning to make experimental short films and once I did Mother's Milk, I explored that medium a lot more and came up with different subjects to explore; getting to the point where I wasn't afraid to push the boundaries creatively on a film such as Auricular Confession.
What made you want to make Auricular Confession?
Initially, I always wanted to film a guy in the nude just doing random things like reading a book or sitting at a table.
I feel when we're naked, we are at our most vulnerable and I wanted to explore those feelings but in a mundane kind of setting.
I held on to that vision for some time and in 2019, I decided to finally make it happen by collaborating with Esteban Licht whose artistic photography work I have seen online and loved. He flew in from Argentina and we just went for it.
What I also wanted to explore with Auricular Confession was spirituality focusing mainly on some of the different aspects that are both traditional and esoteric. What I didn't really know at the time while filming it was that I was telling my father's story, but in an abstract way. I guess it came to me intuitively since I was about to lose my father a year after losing my mother.
Were there any challenges in getting this film made?
Not really to be honest. Everything flowed smoothly overall. I had a great actor and the director of photography, William Murray, is someone I've known for years and have collaborated with on many projects. I had a great small team so there was no reason for things to get complicated during the filmmaking process. We were a little tight with time but even that worked itself out.
What's the hardest part of being a filmmaker in 2020?
Making and spending money on your film projects. I think because of everything that has happened this year and how it took us all by surprise, some of us are probably a little more mindful of what's in our wallets and how we spend it. But interestingly enough, I have seen many push forward with their art regardless and that's inspiring to say the least.
Who are your filmmaking heroes and why?
I've been a fan of filmmakers like Andy Warhol, Gaspar Noé, Pasolini, Godard, Fassbinder, David Lynch, Lars Von Trier, Abel Ferrara, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and more recently Robert Eggers. I love the risks they take and how true they are to themselves and for that, they are able to stand out with their work.
What advice would you give to new filmmakers?
My advice would be to stay true to what you do and to allow yourself time to grow and not be afraid to take risks when it's needed. Having realistic goals couldn't hurt either.
What's next for you?
I'm in the process of editing another experimental short film entitled The Dark Forest which I hope to release some time soon within the next month or so. It'll be more of an art installation piece which is something I've always wanted to assess a little more deeply.
Where can people see Auricular Confession?
They can watch the film on my Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/martindelcarpio
What would you say if you were a dolphin?
Watch out for those sharks! ;)
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