Vapor and Taxi Libre are two very interesting, very different and very moving short-films written and directed by Kaveh Nabatian. Both films were part of this year’s WSFF‘s Slap ‘n’ Tickle and The Comeback (Official Selection) Programs, respectively. I had the pleasure of sitting down for a coffee and chat with director Kaveh Nabatian and the leads for both shorts Omar Alexis Ramos and Marco Ledezma (pictured here R-L). In between jokes and the exchange of personal anecdotes, we conversed about the process of making these two films.
Vapor was also part of TIFF’s Canada Top 10 Short Films last year. It is a film that tells the story of a man is forced to live a secret life and what happens when he chooses to stop living in secret. Without much dialogue and with beautiful music from Mozart and Bell Orchestre, Nabatian tells us this story and its unfortunate ending. In Nabatian’s words, “it’s a kind of poetic.” It is very lyrical in the sense that imagery and music are used to convey the story and emotions.
In Vapor, the man is forced to hide the fact he is gay yet as he gets older, he decides to let go and be who he wants to be. (Don’t want to give too much away here). The film was based on true events about a gay man in Mexico; Nabatian decided to make the story more universal. He added the layer of the man having a wife and family. In reality, the man was from a very affluent family but he was unable to be openly gay given that Mexico is still a homophobic society. Regardless, the story could be set just about anywhere.
Vapor (excerpt) from Kaveh Nabatian on Vimeo.
Ledezma plays the man in the film in a delicate yet moving manner. With regards to casting for the film, Nabatian shared that Ledezma had auditioned for Taxi Libre first, although it was filmed after. The director wanted an older man to play the character. Ledezma makes his performance seem effortless. They are both very happy with the outcome of the film. When asked how he liked working on Vapor Ledezma said, “I love it.” He really wanted to bring the character’s suffering and release to life. It turns out that Ramos was also involved in Vapor. He is “the voice” we hear in the film.
Vapor was filmed in Montreal over the course of three days and one day in Mexico City. The one day in Mexico City proved to be quite the ordeal. They wanted to film from the Torre Latinoamericana to add scenic shots in the film and it was almost impossible. Security had not received the permits to allow filming. After some hours and going back and forth, they were allowed to film. Unfortunately or fortunately… the film was x-rayed and damaged on its way to Canada; so the footage in Mexico City had to be re-shot. The second time they shot in Mexico, Nabatian already knew exactly what he wanted for the film. He mentioned, “it’s interesting because it’s easier once you know what you want and have a chance to go back to re-shoot.” Ultimately, he was happy with the end result and used some of the damaged footage at the end of the film. Since then, most of the feedback on this short-film has been very positive.
Nabatian’s other project, Taxi Libre, has also been receiving a lot of positive feedback. This project came from the NFB’s call for films dealing with immigrants’ stories in Canada. Nabatian has lived in Mexico and loves the culture a lot. He noted that Mexican culture is very much entwined with the Catholic religion. This sort of sparked the idea of making a film with a guardian angel in it. But on another level, Nabatian was interested in the idea of racism and how it’s always existed even if we try to deny or hide it.
In Taxi Libre, the protagonist, José Garza, is a professional who’s moved to Québéc from Mexico. He simply wants a chance at a new life but he encounters many roadblocks due to living in a different country with a different language and different expectations. He is now forced to work as a taxi driver in Montreal since it’s not easy to get a job in his profession. What transpires in the film is something only too familiar for most immigrants at some point or another. The only exception is that Garza has a guardian angel who reminds him of his roots while also providing him with some comfort and humour.
Both Ledezma and Ramos had much to say about making this film as they are both actors who moved to Canada from Mexico. Ramos talked about the experiences of immigrants in Québéc. He shared, “it’s like you have to start over. Okay, so you go back to school then get all the equivalents and now what? You have an accent; it could be that it’s not Québécois French enough or just not as good as people expect you to sound. This film is opening a lot of doors. And will hopefully make people aware that something must be done.” This project became very personal for him.
Ledezma also agrees with Ramos’ point. As he put it, “it’s important to make films like Taxi Libre. And it’s important that we address immigrants’ needs and experiences.” Both he and Ramos commented on how immigrants’ experiences in Québéc are not isolated; such experiences can translate to other parts of the world where there has been an influx of immigrants.
In terms of the two characters, José Garza and the guardian angel, Nabatian at first wasn’t sure who would play which role. The casting just worked out really well. He liked “the idea of a guardian angel who likes to poke” at Garza’s character. Nabatian wanted to have Mexican actors play these roles, Ramos and Ledezma make these characters very real… Each actor makes the character his own. As Ramos described, the character of “José Garza is more the conservative type; he wants to be the provider and the protector. That is why he finds it so difficult to admit to his girlfriend (who is back in Mexico) that he’s having a hard time finding a decent job and is forced to work as a taxi driver.” With Ledezma playing the guardian angel, Taxi Libre is funny, moving and thought provoking.
It is interesting to see in the film how people think they know a country simply from having gone to a resort there. The female passenger asks, “Why did you leave Mexico? Life is so easy there!” At this point, Ramos describes, “I was so angry with that line. I wasn’t acting at that point because that type of thinking really gets to me. My voice was shaky in my response to her.” In essence, there are many misperceptions about immigrants and their circumstances.
A topic of much interest was also the music used in Vapor and Taxi Libre; it was very integral in both films. Nabatian is a musician as well; he plays for Bell Orchestre. As musician, choosing the right music for each of the films was an essential part of the process. He chose Mozart’s Lacrimosa and some of Bell Orchestre’s music for Vapor, which add to the mood of the film. In Taxi Libre, the main song is by a local Trio from Mexico City called Los Tecos. He met them at a cantina and asked them if they’d like to record one of their own songs for the film. They were happy to do so and the song’s lyrics simply summarize how the protagonist is feeling about having left his girlfriend back home and all that comes with missing a loved one. Sorry to say, we cannot find this song anywhere though… sigh!
Taxi Libre has been well received in Montréal and recently at WSFF in Toronto. Many who’ve seen the film are themselves immigrants for whom the story resonates. Others have approached Ledezma and Ramos and asked them if there will be another film or if this but a preview for a feature that’s yet to come and still others are looking for a place to buy the DVD version. For Nabatian, this is an excellent response and hopes the film continues to generate discussion. Before ending our chat, Nabatian made a good point about how he likes to make films that can mirror something about us as human beings. Vapor and Taxi Libre do just that and in turn, remind us that we still have much to learn about ourselves.