Chelsea Lupkin
Arguably, the best stories are those that are relatable and you simply don’t get much more relatable than Customer Service. A dark comedy about misplaced anger, director Alex Medina and his co-writer, Juan Pablo Daranas Molina, absolutely nail depressing situational humor in one of the most exasperating scenarios possible. Sometimes the world seems like it’s working against you, but Customer Service is a humble reminder to look outside yourself.
Following a guy named Charles as he desperately tries to find the name of a “wonderful song” that was playing on his flight the previous day, he enters the endless customer service cycle. Frankly, it’s easy to understand Charles’ frustrations as it’s a very specific kind of hell that most people, if not everyone, has experienced. However, between dozens of seemingly inconsequential questions, you’ll feel worse for the people who work for the airline than Charles as his temper gets the best of him… and anyone in his general vicinity for that matter.
Medina’s short feels a bit on the long side, but that feeling of being in something too long is important for the story. Just how far Charles’ temper will go and how much his little world falls apart because of it, remains to be seen!
“The more honest I can be with myself in a film, the better I feel”
Medina admits that the story was born from his need to tame his own anger and unwillingness to accept things out of his control. For him, it was accepting that he “lived with his arms up for too long” and was defensive of nothing in particular. Therefore having a character frustrated with his own attitude was the best vehicle to express that.
Medina explains, “I think everything I’ve made lately is somehow looking for personal healing. The more honest I can be with myself in a film, the better I feel. If others can relate to it later, then that’s the perfect outcome.”
Relate we did!
Medina is currently working on a feature film inspired by the building where he lives in Los Angeles. He says it’s a magical story about “returning to your seed”, and while we’re not quite sure what that means, if it’s anything like Customer Service, we’re going to dig it!