“Del Arco Vacío” follows a charismatic man through the streets of a small town in Peru, as he poetically details the life of one Alex Carlo Delgado, soccer star and local legend. We asked director Micah Van Hove how the project began, how he worked with his actor, and about a recent film he’s loved…

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

I did theater as a kid and when a film came through town I auditioned for it and got the part. Once I was on set I fell in love with the process, but I realized I would prefer to be behind the lens. The director of that film gave me my first camera and I started shooting anything I could.

2) What was the original inspiration to create this film, and what were some of the first steps to get it going?

In perhaps the most joyful filmmaking experience of my life, this film was made under the tutelage of Werner Herzog in the Peruvian Amazon. When instructed to tap into the "fever dreams in the jungle," I discovered a man in the riverside city of Puerto Maldonado where the collective dream of football stardom captures the souls of many.

3) This is kind of an odd concept for a short, but I think it works beautifully because of the charm and charisma of your actor. I’d be curious to hear how you worked with him to capture this performance - what was the back and forth like? Did you have to steer him into your vision, or were you just kind of following his lead?

I had written a short script that started out as a eulogy — the story of a man's life in retrospect — or rather the life he wished he had. Originally I had another actor cast for the part and was working with a translator, but within 30 minutes of shooting I replaced the actor with my translator Guillermo 'Chino' Subauste. I felt he had the energy I was after and understood how to make my words work in Spanish. We shot the whole thing in a few hours on a brisk Sunday morning.

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

Chloe Zhao's The Rider was an incredible piece of cinema for me because it proves that the kind of moviemaking that excites me actually works. She was able to utilize hybrid fiction and untrained performances into a rich experience that is both emotional and aesthetic.

5) What’s next for you?

Currently making my third feature length with the same actor from this short film about a man searching for the snake that ate his dog. Shooting in Colombia early 2020.

Contact Info:

Website: http://umuima.com

Instagram: @umuima