Feb 24, 2023

Getting to Know Indie Filmmakers Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cochinha

In this ongoing series, we present some of the most interesting independent animators working today. Through their short films and other projects, these artists are changing the way we think about what can be done with this medium.

This week's subject is Chilean multidisciplinary partners Cristobal León and Joaquin Cochinha.

In a nutshell Using a recipe of dark, absurd humor and nightmarish imagery, the stop-motion duo has created a unique work that is haunting, surreal, and often political.

Where to Start: Lucia (co-directed with Niles Atala, 2007) Young Lucia recalls a one-summer love affair with Luis, full of mysterious and dark secrets. The film has an eerie beauty. Set in Lucia's bedroom, ghosts and voices from the house's past come to life, seemingly revealing the building's troubled history. Is Lucia dead, murdered, or assaulted? ...... A stop-motion film using charcoal, dirt, flowers, and various objects, "Lucia" is a haunting ghost story and a reminder that the past is not really dead.

The next film to watch: Luis (2008) was made as part of a series alongside Lucía. It is equally chilling, but this time the story is told from the point of view of Luis's presumably psychotic patient. In another room, perhaps a basement, Luis reminisces about his life in the woods and his love for Lucía. It is tempting to look away, but it is so beautiful and hypnotic that one can't.

Other major works: The Thin Smile (2022), La Bruja y el Amante (2012), La Casa Lobo (House of Wolves, 2018), Los Huesos (2021)

Influences: David Lynch, Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Jan Švankmajer

says: "Almost every piece starts with a joke. The truth is, to be honest, we always want to be funny, but the results are always horrible. We are like bad comedians. But we try. We try to have fun with our work. I am fascinated by artists like Jordan Peele who combine comedy and horror. I think art is about connecting emotions that seem separate."

Currently working on: working on my first live-action film, Los Hiperbóreos, which will be shot in December and January at the Museo de Arte de Santiago. It will be an exhibition and filming that will be open to the public. The film will be shot with one actress, Antonia Giesen, and many puppets of various kinds. All filming will take place on a full-scale set built inside the museum."