Sebastián Muñoz’s debut feature, The Prince (El Príncipe), is a 1970s-set homoerotic prison drama based on a low-circulated pulp novel, tracking the sexual, often-violent and eventually murderous experiences of 20-something narcissist Jaime.
Close-up Culture’s James Prestridge spoke to Muñoz about the film ahead of its screening at the Venice International Film Festival. (The answers are in Spanish followed by a rough/abbreviated English translation.)
Q: This time last year, I remember reading an article in Variety about ‘The Prince’. How does it feel to be premiering the film at the 2019 Venice Film Festival?
A: Una emocion muy grande y la satisfaccion de representar al cine Chileno en este festival, sentir que nuestra mirada como Latino Americanos se instala cada dia mas en el resto del mundo, y que las historias terminan siendo universals.
(A very huge emotion and satisfaction to represent Chilean film in this festival.)
Q: Yourself and Luis Barrales adapted this story from a novel by Mario Cruz. What interested you about the novel and how did it help shape the film?
A: Me intereso la crudesa del relato, identificarme con Jaime y su proceso dramatico durante la historia. El que hablara de personajes simples, comunes y corrientes, que dentro del encierro buscaran lo mas importante en la vida , los afectos mas alla del genero dentro de la cotidianidad de la carcel. Luis fue un aporte desde su mirada de la dramaturgia teatral mas mi mirada y puesta en escena cinematografica logramos darle vida y emociones a cada personaje y su propio relato
(I was interested in the crudeness of the story. The book talks about simple and commo characters, who inside jail will seek the most important thing in life: affection – one that goes beyond gender. Luis contributed dramaturgy to my point of view and cinematographic scene. We gave life and emotions to each character and the story.
Q: The film takes place in Chile, 1970. Why did you decide to keep the film in the 1970s and not transplant it to a modern setting?
A: La pelicula se instala en 1969 y termina en Septiembre de 1970, no hablo de una decada, hablo del año en donde Chile hace un cambio social muy importante y ese cambio social lo queria contrastar con mis personajes que caminan por la vereda del frente sin darse cuenta que el pueblo Chileno estaba cambiando, mas no para ellos.
(The film starts in 1969 and ends in September 1970, it is not a decade. It’s a year where Chile makes very important social changes and those social changes contrast with the characters.)
Q: The film starts with Jaime stabbing his best friend in what seems to be an outburst of passion. What is going on in Jamie’s life and mind that he acts out in such a violent way?
A: El narcisimo del personaje es el que lo movera durante toda la pelicula, matar a su mejor amigo y primer amor tiene que ver con el sentirse despechado ¿Por qué baila con otro y no conmigo?
(The narcissism of the character is what drives him during all the film. Killing his best friend and first love has to do with feeling disposed; why does he [Jaime’s best friend] dance with another person and not with me?)
Q: What is the nature of the relationship between “The Stallion” and Jamie? How do their interactions change Jamie?
A: Al comienzo es una relacion de poder y amor negro, pero luego la necesidad amar y ser amado los lleva a construir una relacion sincera que atraviesa todos los afectos y por primera vez lo afectos son verdaderos
(At the beginning of the film, it is a relationship of power and black love, as it is called in jail, but then the need to love and to be loved leads to the creation of a sincere relationship.)
Q: “The Stallion” faces the violent power struggles within the prison. What role does the prison setting play in the film?
A: Es un personaje mas dentro de la historia, silencioso a veces y ensordesedor en otros momentos, guarda los secreteos de todos estos hombres, de estos cuerpos encerrados en sus propias historias que al caer la noche se transforma en confidente y los libera para que puedan vivir sin miedo el amor negro
(It is one more character in the film. It keeps the secrets of all these men.)
Q: How was the shoot for ‘The Prince’? Did you shoot the film in a real prison?
A: Es la experiencia mas importante de mi vida como artista. Y era necesario trabajar en una carcel real, no construida, ya que nos aporto una carga emocional de miles de seres humanos que sufrieron realmente en este espacio y arquitectonicamente hacia que el relato y transito de nuestros personajes fuera mas coherente y convincente.
(It is the most important experience of my life as an artist. I needed to work in a real, uncontrolled prison, because it contributes to an emotional state of the thousands of human beings that really suffered in this space, also its architecture contributes to the story and transits to make our characters more coherent and convincing.)
Q: What are your hopes for ‘The Prince’ at the Venice Film Festival and beyond?
A: Que el publico se sienta identificado y se sumerja en este oscuro y crudo relato de hombres encerrados que por necesidad buscaran los afectos sin limites. es una historia para ser vista por todo el mundo y me interesa aportar en esos miles de jovenes que buscan pertenecer dia a dia a la sociedad sin que nadie los vea
(Hopefully the audience can identify with and immerse themselves in this dark and raw story of closed men who need to seek the affection without limits. I am seeking to help those thousands of young people who are searching to belong to society.)