Jonathan Moratal is a first-time director of the short film “Archeìo” (produced by the Domus Fabula collective). He is based in Switzerland, where he works as a psychiatric nurse. His interest in cinema grew over time. At first as a spectator. Then, the technique around these creations piqued his interest more and more until the moment when the desire to create took over.
iFilmFestival: Tell us a bit about your most important film so far.
JM: “When it comes to films I've been involved in, Archeìo is the most important. It's my first film as a director. If we're talking about cinema in general, I'd say Spielberg's Jurassic Park. It's the popcorn film that made the biggest impression on me when I was young.”
iFilmFestival: What were the key challenges making it?
JM: “The main challenges were creating a scenario for the first time; assembling a motivated team of professionals and amateurs; taking the director's chair on my first set.”
iFilmFestival: What’s one aspect that you’re particularly proud of?
JM: “To have been able to create a small film family around this project. This family aims to continue creating and growing. It's a source of great pride.”
iFilmFestival: How did you get involved in filmmaking?
JM: “I'd been writing screenplays with friends and my father for 2 years. We started with audio fiction. It was an amazing exercise and a real discovery for me. My first film project was this one. It all happened very quickly. I was asked to be part of a very short film to be presented at a festival, and to take the director's chair because I'd done audio fiction. The deadlines were very tight, so there weren't many questions.”
iFilmFestival: What new projects are you working on or are you hoping to work on in the future?
JM: “We have 2 projects underway: a very short film for the end of the year, and a 20-minute short film. That second project is well advanced, and we're in the middle of fund-raising.”
iFilmFestival: What role do film festivals play?
JM: “For me (as a director), it is about confronting critics, and about showing the film. The aim is to see how our work is perceived and hope that opportunities may arise.”
iFilmFestival: What is your advice to filmmakers tackling the festival circuit?
JM: “Present your film at as many festivals as possible. It's only with a lot of exposure that you can more or less understand how it all works and, above all, how your film is really perceived.”
iFilmFestival: How do you see the future of film?
JM: “Filled with challenges. Today, it's very easy to make a film. Technology, training and equipment are increasingly accessible. But this also means that your film is drowned in the mass. The challenge is to stand out from the crowd. It's all about creativity”
iFilmFestival: Which filmmaker do you admire and why?
JM: “I think my admirations come in phases. I discover or rediscover films, and they have a different impact on me depending on the moment. Still, some directors are impressive, but for different reasons: James Cameron for his obsession with cinema. Peter Jackson for the cultural impact he's had on his country. Ridley Scott for creating "foundation films" in SF. Mel Gibson for the construction of his screenplays. Georges Miller for his mythology. Quentin Tarantino for his aestheticism. And so many more”
iFilmFestival: What film have you recently seen that you have admired in one way or another?
JM: “Top Gun: Maverick. A simple, well-crafted story. I found the phases in the planes oddly organic (actors in real planes with reactions taken on the spot). I loved this action movie, which took me back to when I was 15 and sitting on the couch with my dad, who'd come home from the video store with an action movie.”
iFilmFestival: Thank you Jonathan for answering our questions!
Interview by iFilmFestival on 21/07/2023.
