ANDREA ZAPATA-GIRAU
FILMMAKING
Aava
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2016 | 00:06:08 | Spain-Finland | Finnish | Color | 16:9
In order to balance a profession she loves and her motherhood, Hanna leaves every day her daughter Aava with her Chilean mother-in-law, a woman she deeply admires despite of the lack of communication between them.
Para conciliar una profesión que le apasiona con su maternidad, Hanna deja cada día a su hija Aava con su suegra chilena, una mujer a la que admira profundamente pese a su falta de comunicación.
Cast | Reparto: Sonja Linnea Halkin, Silvia Eliana Aedo, Julia Amelia Girau & Juha Mehtäläinen
Direction, script and editing | dirección, guión y montaje: Andrea Zapata-Girau
Executive production | producción ejecutiva: Xisela Franco & Beli Martínez
Camera operators | operadores de cámara: Andrea Zapata-Girau & Juha Mehtälainen
Sound recording | sonido directo: Lasse Poser
Sound mix | diseño de sonido: Javier Abreu
Finnish translation and narration | traducción al finés y narración: Lotta Tenhunen
English subtitles | subtítulos en inglés: Xiomara González & Christopher Jiménez
Song 1 | Canción 1: Aava Meri (Antón Jiménez)
Song 2 | Canción 2: La Cumparsita (Gerardo Matos Rodríguez)
Carta de intenciones:
"Aava" es un corto hecho por encargo para la película colaborativa "Visións", comisionada por Xisela Franco, producida por Beli Martínez ("Arraianos", "Longa Noite") y formada por cortos de 10 creadoras gallegas, entre ellas la cineasta Diana Toucedo (Trinta Lumes) y las artistas visuales Carme Nogueira y Carla Andrade. Un proyecto impulsado desde la Diputación de Pontevedra.
La idea del corto surgió a partir de una serie de reflexiones posteriores al nacimiento de mi hija sobre el rol social de la maternidad y el compaginar una carrera artística con la crianza. Para tratar este tema tan universal cuento la historia de Hanna y su suegra chilena, dos mujeres fuertes y luminosas que comparten el cuidado de una niña de poco más de un año. Hanna vive su maternidad de forma invisible dentro de su entorno laboral y vive su trabajo como un elemento hostil dentro de su familia. Siente una profunda admiración por su suegra pero sus diferencias (lingüísticas, culturales y generacionales) y la relación de dependencia que se ha establecido contribuyen a una profunda falta de comunicación.
Me interesaba especialmente retratar la culpa y la soledad que envuelven la maternidad de la protagonista y de tantas otras mujeres, y también su fortaleza y determinación para luchar por un trabajo que necesita no sólo como fuente de ingresos sino como medio de realización personal.
Los personajes fueron interpretados por no-actrices a las que no se les entregó guión, se les dejó "ser". Los paisajes e interiores sobrios y atemporales de la ciudad finlandesa de Tampere acompañan esta historia
Pese a que la historia ocurre en el Norte, la banda sonora remite al Sur: una versión en finés del tango “La Cumparsita” cantado por Olavi Virta y el trío femenino Metro-Tytöt, y un tema del guitarrista flamenco Antón Jiménez, con quien ya colaboré en mi largometraje “Guitarra de palo”.
Letter of intent:
"Aava" was made for the collaborative feature film "Visións", commissioned by Xisela Franco and conformed by short films by 10 different Galician female filmmakers such as Carla Andrade, Diana Toucedo or Carme Nogueira.
The idea of the short film “Aava” was born of reflection. After the birth of my daughter, I began to reflect on the social role of motherhood and the challenges of balancing an artistic career with raising children; challenges that include changes in the creative process as a consequence of the constant interruptions and lack of time, limitations on social interaction and public exposure in a field where a lot happens “behind the scenes” and important economic difficulties due to the unstable and very poorly regulated freelancing industry.
Another topic I wanted to talk about was how, in order to balance a personal and professional life, many parents feel forced to delegate part of their responsibilities as caregivers and educators to grandparents. All this generates feelings of tension, dependence, culpability and reproach within the family that are rarely verbalized.
My intention with this film was to make the audience recognize these human conflicts and reflect on them.
To address these universal issues I tell the story of Hanna, a Finnish woman that works as a lighting designer in theater and has a toddler daughter called Aava, that she raises with the help of her Chilean mother-in- law. Hanna lives her motherhood in an invisible way in her working environment and lives her job as a hostile element inside her family.
Hanna has a deep admiration for her mother-in- law but their differences (linguistic, cultural and generational) and the relationship of dependence that has been established, have contributed to their lack of communication. Little Aava (interpreted by my own daughter Julia) seems to be the only bridge between them.
I was especially interested on portraying the guilt and loneliness that surrounds Hanna-and many other women-in the way they live motherhood and also her strength and determination to fight for a job she needs not only as a source of income but for personal fulfillment as well.
I chose to narrate this story with a very free and poetic tone, guided by simplicity and the proximity to the documentary genre. The film was shot in Finland, in the city of Tampere, a country where I lived for five years and whose culture and pace have had a very deep impact in my life and in my approach to cinema. I wanted the locations, props and costumes to transmit that timeless and sober aesthetic so characteristic of Finland. I chose shooting locations that reinforce the feeling of isolation of the characters, which were played by non-professional actresses.
While the story takes place in the North, the soundtrack evokes the South: aversion in Finnish language of the tango “La Cumparsita” sung by Olavi Virta and female vocal trio Metro-Tytöt, and a flamenco piece by guitarist Antón Jiménez, with whom I had already collaborated in my previous film “Guitarra de palo”.
In “Aava” music is not used to signify a social context or a physical environment,instead, it is used to draw attention to an inner world in which the characters seek refuge.
CIMA en corto
Cineteca, Madrid
30/01/2019
Festival EuroAsia, Washington, U.S.A.
10/06/2018
Sala SGAE Centre Cultural, Valencia, Spain.
10/05/2018
FICBE Festival de Cine Social de Berriozar, Spain
28/10/2017
Sala Ingrávida
O Porriño, Spain
22/10/2017
Festival de Cine de Madrid
19/10/2017
Sala Ingrávida
O Porriño, Spain
03/06/2017
FICICA Festival Internacional de cortos
Cine a la Calle
Barranquilla, Colombia
05/2017
Cine las Américas
International Film Festival
Austin, Texas
3-7/05/2017
Short Film Corner
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes, France
22-28/05/2017
Shorty Week
Cádiz, Spain
27-30/04/2017
Festival Mujeres en Foco
Museo de la Memoria
Buenos Aires, Argentina
11-13/11/2016
La Caldera de Les Corts
Directed By Women
Barcelona, Spain
23/09/2016
Cineteca de El Matadero
Directed By Women
Madrid, Spain
17/09/2016
Aranjuez. Centro Cultural Isabel de Farnesio, Aranjuez, Spain.
07/03/2018
Festival de Cine Político
Dirigido por Mujeres
Sala Berlanga, Madrid
06/10/2017
Festival de Cans
O Porriño, Spain
27/05/2017
Festival Européen du Film
Court de Brest - Market
Brest, France
8-13/11/2016
Screening of "Aava" as part of the collective movie "Visións", which includes 9 other short films by Galician women directors.
Chiayi City International Art Documentary Film Festival (CIADFF).
Chiayi, Taiwan
11-27/03/2017
Festival Zinebi
Beautiful Docs
Bilbao, Spain
23/11/2016
Cineuropa
Cines Numax
Santiago de Compostela
15 & 18/11/2016
Festival de cine internacional de Ourense
Ourense, Spain
2/11/2016
Cineteca de El Matadero
Madrid, Spain
20/10/2016
Festival Cinemas Ocultos
Cangas, Spain
04/10/2016
Exposición Magical Girls
Casa das Artes
Vigo, Spain
12/08-09/10 /2016
Festival S-8
PALEXCO
A Coruña, Spain
04/06/2016
Festival Primavera do Cine
Vigo, Spain
27/05/2016
Festival de Cans
Porriño, Spain
18/05/2016
Estreno-Pontevedra
Museo de Pontevedra
Pontevedra, Spain
15/04/2015
Estreno-Vigo
Auditorio do Concello
Vigo, Spain
14/05/2016