Hassan Said
HassanSaid.com
“The film is beautifully penned by Said and Lourdes Figueroa, with Paolo Trulin's lensing practically being a character all its own. Yuval Ron's original music companions the film to perfection, while Greg Whitlow's editing is essential in the film's intellectual and emotional satisfaction.”
an aging Alberto, reflects years later confessing through an audio recorder, to his now divorced wife about their nostalgic marriage.
SAL Y LIMON (Salt & Lemon) is not just a film but a surreal realization that grew out of me, to tell the story of Alberto and his wife's long lost love- which is a theme that struck close to home in that period of my life.
Set in Spain, after years away from his long lost love, his ex-wife. After years of contemplation, he realizes why they parted and the cause of their marriage to fall apart. Alberto shocked with reality, decides to record his confession in hopes that his ex-wife would hear him and be able to redeem what's left.the story is about one man coming to terms with his previous relationship- examining his regrets, and all of the things that he wishes he could take back- in a confessional manner. When you are amidst the storm its hard to see beyond the turbulence, the same applies for when in a relationship.
I was at a point of figuring out what went wrong with someone i have loved very dearly, the one thing at the moment that felt the most true was things are not the same. When times passes, you only realize then in your own solitude and pain what exactly went wrong and then it all starts to make sense. The film was shot and composed in a manner of diving through the subconscious of our narrator as he remembers moments of his long lost relationship and him coming to the realization of what went wrong- as we dive deeper and deeper through his thoughts and memories. Words trigger memory and Alberto's journey is a fast film reel of a large part of his life.
Today with the progression in time and options of other mates at our disposal it becomes much harder to stick around through tough times in a relationship with a loved one- statistically higher rates of divorces are occurring and primarily due to miscommunication. I wanted to explore one man's way to redeem himself by the only thing he can do, which is admitting his responsibility to the outcome.
Should i have dealt with things differently? Would've she stayed then?
Shot in San Francisco California over the course of one day- wanting to portray a day in the love and failure of a couple's long term relationship. Shot on 35mm/16mm with practical lighting. Inspired by real events and a reflection of many voices of whom regret, blindness and redemption haunted them for years when realizing the importance of loosing a soul mate. the whole film reflects the seed of the moment of clarity when Alberto is able to finally see what went wrong and vent it out to his distant lost love. The actors would be directed separately and never to speak when not together in the room- and that methodology to help achieve the arc in such a short time and make the talent feel like strangers to one another.
Written and Directed by Hassan Said
Monologue by Lourdes Figueroa
Produced by Hassan Said and Paola Trulin
Edited by Greg Whitlow
Cinematography by Paola Trulin
Color by Dalia Ali Musaad
Music by Yuval Ron
Sound Designer/Mixing by Matt Wood
James Camblin, Heidi Wolff, Alberto Jorrin, Janie Oliver
• WINNER Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Cinematography at International Euro FIlm Festival
• Official Selection at Post Mortem Film Festival
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RUNNING TIME: 8 min
LANGUAGE: Spanish
DATE OF COMPLETION: 2015
SHOOTING FORMAT: 35mm
COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION: U.S.A.
FILMING LOCATION: San Francisco, CA
Cut on Final Cut Pro
Film processing by Fotokem
Telecine by Film Light
2.35:1, Color, Stereo