Journey into the Director's Mind: Crafting Emotion and Narrative Through Vision and Sound
A New Creative Direction: Embracing a Male Protagonist
Milagros Mumenthaler, the acclaimed Argentine-Swiss director, revealed her next cinematic endeavor will pivot to focus on a young male character, a first in her distinguished filmography. Describing it as a "rom-drama," this nascent project is still in its early stages but hints at a new thematic exploration centered around a love story, a concept Mumenthaler feels compelled to address from her own past.
The Art of Filmmaking: Building Narratives from Imagery and Sensation
During her masterclass at the ECAM Forum, Mumenthaler elaborated on her artistic process, which fundamentally begins with capturing an intrinsic feeling or state of mind, often sparked by a single image. This approach underpins her acclaimed works, where visual elements, sounds, and the physical presence of characters converge to tell a story.
"Back to Stay": The House as a Living Character
Mumenthaler's debut feature, "Back to Stay," exemplified her method. The film, which earned the Locarno Golden Leopard, centered on three sisters in their grandmother's house after her passing. Mumenthaler masterfully transformed the single-location setting from potentially claustrophobic to a dynamic, living entity, using windows, external weather, and the sisters' movements to connect the interior with the world beyond. The camera itself acted as the absent grandmother's omnipresent gaze, influencing the film's long takes and framing.
Objects as Bearers of History: Echoes of the Past in the Present
In "Back to Stay," everyday objects were imbued with profound historical significance, serving as tangible links to the family's past. Dresses, stored belongings, and a corset once owned by the grandmother functioned as active traces of memory, highlighting Mumenthaler's deep appreciation for the narrative power of material possessions.
"The Idea of a Lake": Memory, Trauma, and Cinematic Formats
Her second film, "The Idea of a Lake," freely adapted from Guadalupe Gaona's autobiographical work, delved into themes of political and personal memory, following a pregnant woman grappling with her father's disappearance during Argentina's dictatorship. Mumenthaler's meticulous approach included extensive research and experimentation with various film formats, ultimately choosing Super 16 to convey the deeply personal and painful subject matter, while professing her enduring love for the richness of 35mm film.
Visualizing Thought and Memory: A Core Cinematic Challenge
"The Idea of a Lake" brought into sharper focus a recurring question in Mumenthaler's work: how to effectively portray internal thoughts and memories without explicit explanation. She explored how intimate states of mind could be conveyed through nuanced visual and auditory storytelling, a challenge she embraces in her creative process.
"The Currents": A Deep Dive into a Character's Perception
Mumenthaler's third feature, "The Currents," continued this exploration by constructing its narrative entirely from the protagonist Lina's perspective. The film, lauded for its elegant and elusive character study, meticulously crafts soundscapes, visual cues, and even color palettes to mirror Lina's internal crisis, demonstrating Mumenthaler's commitment to immersive character portrayal. Her spontaneous approach to selecting projects ensures that each film is an authentic expression of her current artistic interests.