An Interview with Paulo Miranda, Director of the Visually Stunning Short Film "Boiling Over"

·  Please start by telling us a bit about yourself. How did you learn filmmaking, and where does Boiling Over stand in your body of work?

I've been fascinated by films since childhood. As a teenager, I used to direct amateur videos with neighborhood friends, silly and uncompromised shorts, but I never saw myself becoming a filmmaker professionally. It was in my late teens that I decided to go to film school, during the revival of Brazilian cinema in the mid-1990s. Of all the shorts I've directed, "Boiling Over" is one of the best.

·  How did the idea for Boiling Over come about? What sparked it? Did it all begin with a single image of a man and woman deciding to divorce over breakfast one morning?

In mid-2012, I had read a collection of short stories by a Brazilian author, one of shorts was "Boling Over". The first time I read it, I had really enjoyed it, due to the quick and unusual dialogues between the couple about such a serious topic as marriage and divorce. During the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and early 2022, I wanted to direct an uncompromised, fun short movie that could be made quickly and safely, without putting the health of the cast and crew at risk. I remembered this short story. What was initially intended to be a short movie made between friends, without any commitments, just to forget about the pandemic and quarantine for a while, took on greater proportions and became a professionally produced short movie.

·  When you come up with an idea, how do you proceed? Do you discuss it with friends or other filmmakers, or do you prefer to work on it alone? How long did it take to write the screenplay for Boiling Over? After completing it, did you share it with anyone for feedback?

When a new project comes up, the first step for me is to write a screenplay, work on it until it's ready to move on to the next stages, such as preparation, pre-production and production. During the screenplay development stages, I like to work alone. In the specific case of "Boiling Over", I wrote the first draft of it in just an hour, as the short story was already practically a screenplay, so I only had to make structural adjustments during the adaptation. I shared the screenplay with some coworkers to get their feedback.

·  How did you find your actors? Both actors are compelling, yet their faces show the passage of time. I imagine finding actors who embody both traits and are also convincing in their performances must have been challenging.

I already knew actress Nathalia Lorda for a long time, who plays the wife in the short movie. At the first reading, I saw she'd be perfect for the role. For the husband, actor Kiko Vianello was recommended to me by someone I knew. The chemistry between them was instantaneous at the first table reading of the screenplay.

·  Given that the performances required both verbal and physical elements, how much rehearsal time did you have with your actors? They needed to handle dialogue-heavy scenes as well as the physical confrontation at the end effectively.

There was a table reading with the acting couple via Zoom, followed by an in-person rehearsal – three straight days of rehearsals, two hours a day.

·  Do you consider yourself an actor-centric filmmaker? What do you think is the most important element of a film?

I quote Alfred Hitchcock, when asked what the most important element in a film would be three things: "script, script, script." If a filmmaker is faced with a premise that seems like it's been done many times before, it's worth quoting David Lynch also: "It doesn't matter if this story has been told before, it hasn't been told by you yet".

·  Despite the abundance of dialogue, your film is visually rich. Tell us about the journey you took with your cinematographer. What strategies did you employ?

My biggest concern regarding cinematography was to avoid “video look”, since we were shooting with a digital camera. The cinematographer did an awesome work with the lights and lenses. I wanted a bright sunny look, very vivid, since the dialogues happens in the morning. A side note: the production faced a heavy rain in the days of shooting. That’s the wonder of filmmaking: the cinematographer’s crew were able to bring a strong “sunlight” into the kitchen.

·  Talk about your favorite films and filmmakers. Which films have influenced you the most, and specifically, were you inspired by any particular film while making Boiling Over? Did you watch a specific film before shooting as a source of inspiration?

Woody Allen and Quentin Tarantino were the inspiration for the short movie "Boiling Over" — their fast dialogue, controversial and provocative themes, plot rhythm, and editing. The opening scene of "Pulp Fiction," the unusual and quick dialogue between the two, served as the basis for shooting the short movie.

·  What are your thoughts on transitioning to feature films? Do you think moving to features is difficult? If so, why? Why do many filmmakers who shift from shorts to features often feel shocked at first?

The biggest challenge in making a first feature is the financial factor, as it's very expensive and time-consuming, in addition to being challenging. This is universal for filmmakers all over the world.

·  What feedback have you received from audiences who’ve seen the film? Given the universal theme of your film, which almost anyone from any culture can relate to, do you think there are elements that Brazilian audiences might understand more deeply?

A Brazilian passion for coffee, perhaps? Jokes aside, there are no elements in the film that only Brazilians would relate to. The short movie’s theme is universal.

·  Lastly, please tell us about your next project.

My first feature project deals with deadline and the daunting obstacles we face to accomplish it on time, whatever the goal. It will involve multiple distinct characters running against time. Some cinematic references guide the feature's structure: the German film "Run Lola Run" and the segment "Rhapsody in Blue" from the animated film "Fantasia 2000".