Rob Munday
The family dynamic is a complex thing, no two ever the same. For many it brings comfort and safety, while for others it brings confusion and pain. In Emily Gularte’s UFM Film School short Lagartija (Lizard), the director explores the intricacy of familial relationships through a sensitive lens.
Set in an on-screen world where adults are present, but never really visible, Lizard is very much a story of childhood and some of the trials and tribulations one can encounter during this time. Following siblings Veronica and Ricky as they hang out after school, before returning home, we’re given the impression that these two spend a lot of time together. So when Veronica explains that she “has a different dad” and she might be gone, with him, for most of the summer, we expect difficulties to arise. Although, the nature of those problems may come as a surprise.
Inspiration for writer/director Gularte initially came from a quote by Spanish film director Carlos Saura, who claimed that “childhood is one of the most terrible parts in the life of a human being”. Although that’s a bold statement, Gularte recognised some form of truth in the words and used them, along with Saura’s 1976 film Cría Cuervos, to help shape her storyline. The original draft of the short was quite different from the finished script, however, as initially all the adults were present on-screen. After a eureka moment, the filmmaker realised it was more valuable to isolate the children and locked herself away in a bathroom, during a work trip, to pen the final script.
Angie Guzmán (L) and Emanuel Trujillo play siblings Veronica and Ricky in Emily Gularte’s short film.
Setting out to create a narrative that explored “love and loss within the context of a family”, that absence of grown-ups in the short was important for Gularte to deliver the film’s message. “It is precisely the lack of care and attention from adults which causes the relationship between these two siblings to erupt”, the director explains. I wanted us to see the protagonist make mistakes that are the direct result of mistakes her parents made. The lack of communication and empathy that ended a marriage are problems that clearly have not been resolved, and result in yet another severed relationship. I hope that as people watch this short film they will ponder the consequences of their actions which can build up or tear down our most important relationships.”
Alongside removing the adults from the story, another vital cog in the success of Lizard is the performances of its young cast: Angie Guzmán (Veronica) and Emanuel Trujillo (Ricky). Both first time actors, the pair portray the difficulties of being siblings, with a significant age gap, expertly as it’s often their actions and expressions that convey the complexity of their situation, not their words. Gularte worked closely with Guzmán, rehearsing similar situations, to help her focus on the emotions needed to place herself in her character’s shoes. Their preparations certainly paid off, as Veronica has all the layers needed to appear as an authentic and believable adolescent, caught in that strange limbo somewhere between childhood and adulthood. While Trujillo contrasts that with the wide-eyed innocence you’d only find in one so young. They truly make it easy to believe in their relationship
With her film now released to the online world, after a successful festival tour that included playing at Sundance and Bogoshorts (Colombia), Gularte already has her eyes set on the next stages of her filmmaking career. “I was accepted in the American Film Institute as a directing fellow and will be moving to Los Angeles in August 2023”, she reveals. Adding that her plan is to “finish my Master’s degree and return to Guatemala to direct my first feature film”.