“The minute you mention you are a director from Mexico, people think that you are someone who makes film on drug cartels and gang violence. But, that is just one of the many faces of the country, just like anywhere else,” says Jack Zagha, who is two films old and is counted among the talented film-makers from that country.
At the 19th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) with his sophomore effort One for the Road on a road trip undertaken by three 80-year-old men, the director is overwhelmed by the reception here. In an effort to break the stereotypical impressions of Mexican films, his films concentrate more on families and friendships, all of it treated in a light-hearted manner.
“For me, cinema started at home. My father used to follow me and little brother around with a handheld camera. When I turned 18, I realised I wanted to do something related to images. I started off with a few short films,” he says.
His feature film debut was Goodbye Cruel World, on an honest accountant who gets fired and lands up in underworld where he discovers loyalty and friendship.
“The film industry in our country never had it so good with the government coming forward to fund several films and many good films getting made. Now, around 150 films are getting made every year in Mexico, which is a steady increase from the past,” says Jack.
On the list of film-makers who inspired him are Milos Forman and Guiseppe Tornatore. Asked about his favourites among his compatriots, Jack remains thoughtful for a good minute.
“I guess Alfonso Cuaron,” he says in the end.
Jack flew down to the city, right after completing his next work Warehoused , on a young man who gets a job as the manager of a warehouse, to replace someone who has been manning it for 40 years, only to find that it is an empty warehouse.
