There is nothing quite like the Straight 8 Shootout, which makes The Lift Local director Santiago Sierra Soler just the right talent for it.

The rules of the competition mandate that participants shoot a 2.5 minute film in one single super 8 cartridge, and then submit the film as is, without watching it. That means no editing or post work can be added on, which also requires that the soundtrack be made without the director having watched the film. The first time anyone, including the director, can watch the film is at the competition’s London premiere show, which took place just this past week.

The strict guidelines are certainly not for everyone. Shooting on super 8, in one take, and sending off work without watching it could be far too vulnerable for many artists, but Santiago is a creative talent whose work often captures a raw, almost barbaric element. He is an auteur unafraid to experiment or expose emotional truths.

In response to “The Nature Edition” theme of the 2021 Straight 8 Shootout, Santiago made a film called “The Mother”, which he described as “An exploration of duality through the themes of life and death, grief and happiness, dusk and dawn, etc., where one of the characters, The Son, is omnipresent throughout the story. Like a ghost or spirit, our camera observes the daily routine of a woman in mourning. The film is an allegory of how Nature works and loves without questioning or asking for anything in return.”

We are so proud to work with such a creative spirit as Santiago! Check out more of his work here.