Red Cockroaches
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| Red Cockroaches | |
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| Directed by | Miguel Coyula |
| Produced by | Miguel Coyula |
| Written by | Miguel Coyula
starring = Adam Plotch |
| Music by | Miguel Coyula |
| Distributed by | Herectic Films (US) / Piramide (Cuba) |
| Release date(s) | October 25, 2003 (Cuba) |
| Running time | 82 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | 2000 USD |
| IMDb profile | |
Contents |
[edit] Film Description
The film Red Cockroaches (aka Cucarachas Rojas) is the first of a trilogy set against a backdrop of a New York ravaged with acid rains in a society permeated with the ethical values of the ominous DNA21 Corporation. A man in his twenties meets a mysterious young woman who disrupts the banality of his day-to-day existence. Together, they will embark on an obsessive-destructive journey revealing dark family secrets and forbidden desires. This 2003 feature debut by 26 year old Miguel Coyula was the result of a two-year effort on a budget of $2,000. Shot entirely using a portable digital camcorder and edited on a home computer, Red Cockroaches is an example of DIY cinema and was hailed by a Variety review as "A triumph of technology in the hands of a visionary with know-how..."
[edit] Story
A young man meets a mysterious girl in the subway and gets romantically involved with her, only to later discover that she might be his long lost sister. Dark and atmospheric, the world the characters inhabit is an alternative New York City with bouts of Acid Rains and ruled by an omnipotent cloning company called DNA21. Cryptic in nature and merging several genres, mainly sci-fi and drama with sporadic dark humor and surrealist touches, Red Cockroaches’ morally ambiguous incest story has gathered as many fans as detractors.
[edit] Visuals
Based on carefully planned storyboards, every time there is a cut in the film, it is to a new camera setup that hasn't been used before as opposed to traditional film language where the editor cuts back to a same shot during a scene. In the case of Red Cockroaches the influence of comic book storytelling is obvious.
Scene transitions and edits often mimick the effect of a pop-up book.
Rather than attempting to make DV look like film, the colors were digitally manipulated to the extreme with the purpose of enhancing the atmosphere. This along with multiple layer composites generated the movie’s distinctive, often saturated look.
[edit] Awards
GreenCine Online Film Festival, US, June 2005:
-Narrative Grand Prize
San Francisco Fearless Tales, US, April 2005:
-Best Editing
Festival Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre, Argentina, Nov 2004:
-Special Mention for Visual Concept
SciencePlusFiction, Italy, Nov 2004:
-Special Mention
Festival Cineplaza, Cuba, Oct 2004:
-Gran Premio Plaza (Top Prize) -Best Director -Best Screenplay -Best Editing -Best Sound
Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004:
-Best of Fest -Best Director -Best Science Fiction Feature -Best Actor -Best Editing -Best FX
Encuentro Nacional de Video, Cuba, June 2004:
-Best Editing -Best Cinematography -Special Mention (Narrative)
Digital Independent Film Festival (DIFF), US, May 2004:
-Grand Jury Prize
Muestra de Nuevos Realizadores, Cuba, Feb 2004:
-Special Award of the Jury
Festival Almacen de la Imagen, Cuba, Oct 2003:
-Best Feature -Best Editing -Cinema Award
[edit] External links
