Carlota Pereda is a Madrid-based film and series director. Pereda started her career in television and was nominated for the Television Academy’s Iris Award for “Águila Roja” (“Red Eagle”). Her short films “Las Rubias” (“The Blondes”) and “Cerdita” (“Piggy”) have screened at numerous national and international festivals, with the latter winning over 90 awards. “Piggy” is her first feature film.
“Piggy” is screening at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which is running online from January 20-30. More information can be found on the fest’s website.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
CP: “Piggy” is Sara’s story. A thriller-style coming-of-age story. Teenagers can be a scary time.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
CP: “Piggy” is based on my short film “Cerdita.” Bullying has always worried me, and Sara’s conflict is so strong, so appealing from a thriller and a moral perspective that I just had to give her a voice. I fell in love the character.
W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?
CP. I want the audience ask themselves questions and decide if they like the film. For me, it’s more important to spark a debate than to give answers, to involve them in the film. Movies are not windows that we can look through, but doors that we can enter and take sides.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
CP: I had the best luck working with my production team. [producer] Merry Colomer and my team in general, so they made every challenge — COVID, the extreme heat in Extremadura, getting funded — manageable. The biggest challenge for me was artistic. I wanted to make a fun movie but also stay true to our character’s story, to her voice.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Let us know how you got the film produced.
CP. I have two fantastic production teams behind this project, Morena Films & Back Up Media. The film is a Spanish/French coproduction. We were able to get early interest at Cannes Film Festival Focus CoPro, then later at the EMF Berlin and Torino Film Market, which helped us get Media, Eurimages, Spanish TV networks Movistar, RTVE, as well other national and local funds.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
CP: I’ve always wanted to be a filmmaker, to tell stories visually. I can’t remember ever wanting to be anything else. Before I learned how to write, I fell in love cinema. I used to dictate stories to my dad so we could play them out later and would get very upset if he didn’t transcribe them correctly.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
CP: The best advice: “Nobody cares if you make movies or not. It’s up to you what you do with that knowledge.”
The worst: “Beware, it’s cold outside.” Meaning I should stay put making the same old TV series.
W&H: What advice do you have for other women directors?
CP: Make mistakes. Try. You will find your voice. We need to hear your voice. It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect, it’ll be yours.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
CP: I hate lists. I can’t do them! Today I’d say “Trouble Every Day” by Claire Denis, “Zama” by Lucrecia Martel, and “Petite Maman”Celine Sciamma was a wonderful woman I adored.
W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is creativity something you do?
CP: I write every day, unless I’m shooting. Writing has allowed me to experience a moment of a different reality. It has been difficult to balance work and family with my child at home. Filming is getting more difficult, but we make it work.
W&H: The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — negative stereotypes. What are your suggestions for making it more inclusive?
CP We must listen and follow the guidance of PoC in the industry. There is still so much to be done. It’s a big problem in my country where 98 percent of all entertainers, filmmakers, writers, and even crew, are white and middle class. To change this, there needs to be a massive, transversal cultural revolution starting in schools. It doesn’t represent the reality of Spain today — it’s obscene and it’s extremely boring, too.
Source: Women And Hollywood