Nicolás Pereda is not even 30 yet, but he has four critically acclaimed feature films under his belt. The Mexico City native has been earning a reputation for being a prolific filmmaker with an edge.
His ultra low-budget films were described by film critic Robert Koehler for the Cine Las Americas program as each having "its own thrusts, quirks, obsessions and concerns, they flow together and interconnect, forming by the end of viewing a kind of gestalt which is rare with a director born as recently as 1982."
Pereda enjoys magnifying elements of the human condition. He often does this through Gabino Rodriguez, Pereda's dominant actor who helps weave the storylines when one film ends and another begins. Rodriguez plays quiet and introspective characters whose actions speak much louder to viewers than his words.
In an interview with France's Canal U, Pereda explains that his collaboration with actor Gabino Rodriguez helps the continuity of his films, but also makes Pereda's job easier. He simply gains a better understanding of how Rodriguez works in each film they shoot together.
Pereda added that the more he got to know Rodriguez as a person, the more he wanted him to portray himself on screen, so as to blur the lines between fiction and reality. This led Pereda to stop using a fictitious name and instead simply call Rodriguez' characters by the actor's real name — Gabino.
Three Must-See Nicolás Pereda Films
Juntos (Together)
73 minutes
Gabino sets out to search for his lost dog while his relationship with girlfriend, Luisa, falls apart. Juntos could be considered a prequel to Perpetuum Mobile, although it can stand alone. Gabino's fascination with finding his dog, Junto, and worrying about dogs in the last scenes of the film continues in Perpetuum Mobile.
Perpetuum Mobile
90 minutes
As a Mexico City mover, Gabino observes people's lives on the cusp of change. In his own life, he struggles with his strained relationship with his mother. But when mother and son face an unexpected situation, their relationship faces its biggest test.
Perpetuum Mobile won Best Mexican Feature at the Guadalajara International Film Festival.
¿Dónde están sus historias? (Where are their stories?)
73 minutes
Vicente lives with his grandmother in rural Mexico, far from the complexities of the big city. But when relatives come from the U.S. ready to take over his grandmother's affairs as if she were already dead, Gabino must step up the pace of his quiet life and fight for justice.
¿Dónde están sus historias? won the Best Feature Film Award at the Morelia International Film Festival.
Nancy Flores - My freelance work, which ranges from writing articles, producing and editing online video and shooting photos, focuses on Mexican travel, ...
