5 Questions with Andrew Garcia & Sarah Meital Benjamin ("The Sunset is Not a Permanent Home")

1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?

Andrew Garcia: I'm Puerto Rican/Cuban currently based in NYC. I was first introduced to filmmaking in high school when watching films that, for me, really broke the mold of how movies were "supposed to be", mostly from watching films by Malick, Tarkovsky, and Godfrey Reggio.

Sarah Meital Benjamin: I’m an Israeli filmmaker currently based in NYC. I was first interested in filmmaking in my 20’s as it was my only idea of how to process the situations I had gone through in my early life - both, culturally and emotionally. With my interest in music, visual arts and writing it just made sense.

2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?

AG: My work is always about Latinos and their struggle with their own identity. I made a film a couple of years ago that I shot in Puerto Rico right after hurricane Maria about a family struggling to get clean water (on HBO). My work is always about what we’re going through as a race and trying to show that and raise awareness of the good and bad things. This piece was just a great snowball effect that didn’t feel like work, things just kept opening up and showing themselves and it was just all we could have asked for.

SMB: The initial idea for the project was that I wanted to make something together with Andrew. He has the most sincere heart and a super unique approach to people and stories that I was and still am very mesmerized by. We thought about what we care about - which is youth and the journey of coming of age and we decided to have a casting driven approach of who will find - that would be the story!

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?

The biggest challenge was honestly working together remotely on post as we finished the film days before COVID hit NY. The easiest part was the filming- the cast was so good, open and saturated personality wise that the story told itself

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

AG: A recent favourite as well as an inspiration for Sunset is "LoveTrue" by Alma Har'el. The way it's presented as well as it's themes of love and loss being so transcendental really hit home for me.

SMB: A recent favourite is "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" - I’ve seen it before but not in a long time. Amazingly emotional, captivating and also I love Tom Waits.

5) What’s next for you?

AG: I'm currently developing a feature about Cuban rafters and their struggle to reach Miami during the mass exodus from Cuba in the 90's, really excited about this one. Sarah and I are also working on a few projects together in the meantime!

SMB: I’m currently working on a film in my old hood in Jerusalem about some punk teens. Stay tuned ;)

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https://andrew-garcia.com/ | IG: @rosepapi305

https://sarahmeital.com/ | IG: @sarahmeital