Mila Vilaplana is a film director, producer, and founder of Dipsomania, a production house focused on the creation of visually arresting psychologically-driven narratives. Originally from Cuba, Mila has received critical acclaim and film fest buzz for her bold Giallo-inspired imagery and unconventional approach to cinematic storytelling.
I caught her latest project Beneath the Veil last month at the Nashville Film Festival, and it made me think about how different is my approach to filmmaking, compared to what I saw going on in Mila’s work. I’m a writer and I think like a writer — that is, with words, one after the other. Subject, predicate, clop clop clop.
To me, Mila works more like a painter, in the sense that everything is available at once. The eyes do the steering. Behind the Veil — a story that unfolds almost completely without dialogue — was a masterclass in the power of visual storytelling. Circumventing the usual machinations of plot, rather than buggering around with a bunch of language, can result in a immediate emotional delivery. It only works in the hands of a bold storyteller.
Basically everyone wants to work with Mila right now. I wanted to get her take on why she thought that was, and how it is she’s managed to do so much in so few years. We talked about the challenge her early influences, which include Italian director Dario Argento and the Italian genre known as Giallo — a pastiche of stylish violence, gore, and creepy visuals. And I opened the conversation talking about this impossible crane shot from Soy Cuba (1964), which I mention here just because I think you should see it and marvel.
Mila is currently working on a new project with her writing partner M.K. Kopp, called Dead Land, and — I’m excited to share — she and I are working on our own special project, due in early 2025…
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.This episode sponsored by Writerfest, a creative gathering for aspiring writers, published authors, screenwriters, poets, and songwriters in. Attendees enjoy keynote talks by the best book, song, and screenplay writers in the business as well as in-depth break-out sessions with professional editors, literary agents, filmmakers, and music industry insiders. Writerfest is happening Nov 22 and 23. Find out more information on writerfestnashville.com
Mila Vilaplana: The Young Director Revolutionizing Visual Storytelling | Morse Code Podcast #205