My first feature, JUANA A LOS 12 (About Twelve), studied a character whose behaviour didn’t align with the expectations people held about her particular age group. It became apparent that ARTURO A LOS 30 was about the same thing, albeit at a different point in life.
I was interested in exploring the effects that unprocessed grief can have on a person, how it can stunt and paralyze development. When it comes to Arturo, the main character, there is a reluctance to cross an important threshold.
With this film I wanted to lean harder on the comedy aspect, I think humor has a way of making tough topics digestible.
This was a very long project. We started shooting it in 2017 and we finished in 2022. Whether it was because of a global pandemic or financial troubles, there was a lot of waiting around. It was a frustrating experience. But at the end of the day the time factor was just what the film needed. We had the opportunity to give the project a lot of thought, and we also capture time’s passage in the film itself. We ended up with extremely realistic flashbacks: the kids in the film grow, I age.
I’m thrilled to be at the end of this road and to finally share the film.
Martín Shanly
