Interview with Carlos Segundo, director of Sideral

In Natal, on the Brazilian coast, the country is preparing to launch its first manned space rocket into space. A couple lives with children near the space center, she is a cleaner and he is a mechanic, but she dreams of other horizons.

Have you ever dreamt of flying or going into space?

I’ve personally never wanted to go to space. Perhaps I’m a bit curious. What attracts me to space is its immensity and infiniteness. In Sidéral, space appears as the real possibility of a spatio-temporal suspension. But of course, it also affects our imagination.

Was the theme of boredom present from the beginning or did you develop it as you went along?

Boredom is a fundamental part of this film. But not only that. The desire for transformation, for change, is what makes Marcela get in that rocket. There is also something symbolic and metaphorical in this act. Finding the moment to inscribe our desire in the desire of the event.

Why did you choose black and white?

Black and white serves a certain purpose in the film. The absence of color is directly related to Marcela’s life, to the barrenness of her life. There is also the question of contrast, of opposites, of the poles present in the film. But, above all, I didn’t want to determine a specific time period for the film. The Brazil that appears in the film is timeless.

Have you planned a sequel, or can you imagine a sequel to Sideral?

No. I don’t think that all short films need to be considered as future feature-length films. There are films that provide closure in and of themselves. Sideral is one of these films. I have other feature-length projects I am working on and that I hope to start shooting soon.

Is there a particular short film that has made a strong impression on you?

There are lots of short films that have left an impression on me. I really like the work of Brazilian João Paulo Miranda Maria, the first films of Juliana Rojas, the films by Portuguese director João Nicolau, among others…

What’s your definition of a good film?

Consistency and courage.