Enter the vision of Alexis Hernández Peña

Welcome Alexis, we are very excited to have you today with us to discuss about your work.

Who is Alexis Hernández Peña and how did the passion for creating begin? 

Alexis Hernández Peña is a filmmaker from Mexico City, winner of 4 international film festivals, his filmography stands out for portraying social problems experienced in Latin America and the world. My passion for visual art began when I was 3 years old, I used to play taking photos of plants, landscapes and portraits of family members until the film on my dad's analog camera ran out, at 6 I began to try to recreate scenes from movies that I liked with a VHS tape video camera. My first short film was at 11, the age at which I discovered my vocation and my mission, to portray social problems in my community through art to generate social change. Basing my philosophy of life on judo, a martial art where we are taught to see the good of the entire community, "a mutual effort for a common well-being."

Can you tell us about your previous work ?
My latest work is my thesis project for the degree in cinematography “Delirium” a short film that portrays the life of Sofia, a teenager who is diagnosed with hallucinatory schizophrenia for hearing voices and seeing shadows, so she must take medication that makes her feel like she is dying. Sofia decides to stop taking the medication and her perception of reality changes. Is only what we see and hear real? A different point of view on this intriguing subject. Based on real events.

One of my latest works “Stuck in Limbo” is an award-winning short film about alcoholism and addictions. Christopher is a young man who is influenced by his friends to go to parties and drink alcohol, until everything gets out of control. A deep journey into the cold reality of this social problem.

What inspired you to create “Stuck in Limbo”? Is it based on personal experience or observations of your environment?

Stuck in limbo originated from observations of my surroundings. I grew up in Iztapalapa CDMX in a marginalized neighborhood where there are many shortages, problems and insecurity. I decided to make a short film about addictions because it is one of the biggest problems in my city. In high school I realized how many people under the influence of their friends agreed to drink alcohol and ingest substances. Several acquaintances from school who got lost in drugs and lost their lives. Before writing the script, I did documentary research and interviewed people to find out why they had addictions. Thanks to these studies, I was able to develop a story that deeply encompasses the problems that people with this disease go through, such as personal, economic, family and emotional problems.

CONVERSATION ABOUT: Stuck in Limbo

There is a marked transition in Christopher's journey: from parties to things that get out of control. How did you approach showing that transition visually and emotionally in the film?

As Christopher delves deeper into his problems, the visual narrative and camera movements also change, maintaining the tension with dreamy overtones, making the viewer feel part of the plot with sequence shots, visual and auditory atmospheres that evoke the feeling of being the protagonists. Emotionally, we see how the relationships between the characters go through a transition where they deteriorate to a point of stillness. The images make you feel like you are accompanying Christopher on his journey to a deep limbo where he is trapped in problems that afflict him.

What challenges do you face when addressing social issues through film and how do you ensure that your work remains engaging while conveying a message? You are raising awareness through film. What do you think is the unique power of film when it comes to social change?

Films have the power to convey emotions and internalize feelings, they have the power to change, to think and to be more empathetic with others. One of the biggest challenges was to capture it in a way that felt real, but thanks to the talent of the team we achieved it and above all to make it of interest to the community by doing it in a unique cinematic way, with a style of its own that stands out. By making the viewer connect with the story and be able to live an experience full of emotions, at the end of the film the world is not seen in the same way regarding the problems of humanity. It is undoubtedly a unique work of art.

How did you work with your actors to ensure the authenticity of their performances, especially considering the delicate subject matter? Was there any particular scene that was more difficult to film? If so, why?

There were scenes that were difficult to film and that we repeated several times, since we were trying to convey realistic emotions. We worked with the cast days before filming to create an emotional bond, connect, empathize with each other, it was very important to contextualize how each character feels in order to feel the feelings and in the tense scenes to fully immerse ourselves in the emotion of the situation and not overact but truly feel what the character would feel.

What is the central message or feeling that you want the public to leave with after seeing your work?

Reflection, to be able to visualize and understand everything that is behind certain problems that persist in our society, to unite as human beings and look for a way to achieve positive changes together for the good of all.

In future projects, do you plan to explore similar genre intersections, or are there other genres you're eager to explore?

I think I'm going to keep social themes in mind in my future projects, but I'm also going to explore other genres soon, such as horror or comedy. I had previously dabbled a bit in these genres during my artistic education, but now I want to do something with a bigger budget.

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or themes that you're interested in exploring in your future works?
I'm currently writing the script for my next short film that will portray a complex love story, the ability of art to change lives, and resilience. I want to thank all the people who support me for all the support in my art. In the second week of October we're releasing Stuck in limbo and in November Delirium. On the YouTube platform and on Besia Films' social networks, we invite you to leave us a comment to let us know what you think.

This marks the conclusion of the interview featuring our esteemed artist, Alexis Hernández Peña. Our community is growing steadily, with a continuous influx of skilled filmmakers and screenwriters joining us. Explore our other interviews, and consider scheduling one for yourself to showcase your creative endeavors.

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