“Barrio Triste” follows four lawless young men from Medellin, Colombia in the 90s, stealing television cameras, robbery, crime and merciless street violence. Stus, a photographer and music video director who wrote and directed the film as his debut feature, says that the origins of his films came from childhood.
“I was inspired by a lot of personal things in my life,” he says. “When I was growing up, I heard a lot about the temptation and such in my Columbian family.
The “Barrio Triste,” scheduled to open at the Toronto Film Festival on Wednesday, is a whirlwind fusion thanks to stolen cameras and a constantly moving, discovered video style. In fact, Stillz always held the camera, except for one shot in which the character saw himself in the mirror. He continued this control throughout the film. The film was enthusiastic and on the edge of control, but in reality it was very planned.
“Everything was allowed,” he says. “Every day we create a world and allow each world to have freedom. I try to make and create these long wandering shots. It felt like my child had just taken a camera and had been filming for a few hours in his life. But everyone is an extra.
Also, in addition to the tense and vast film, there is a loud and dynamic soundtrack courtesy of electronic artist Arca. It’s a central force that leads the audience to a panic attack, as there is almost wall-to-wall music above the bed of noise and sound.
“I was used to making music videos while filming the film, so I had to have a certain musical perspective while filming,” Stillz says. “I just got hooked on her first album while filming, and at the same time I got a sense of pacing and got hooked on the idea of her creating an original score. So I approached her and she was very emotional about the film.
Stillz also had another important collaborator: Director Harmony Korine, who acted as a surveillance board.
“The greatness of harmony was that there’s no need to do things in this traditional way,” he says. “I came from these really big music videos with large productions and large teams. In my head, if the video is already this big, remember that it’s important to keep it on my head until I talk to him, and that it’s not a tradition that we haven’t learned about. The biggest reason I was able to understand how to get this off the ground.”
Korine was excited to work on the film with his company Edglrd.
“Stilts are great,” Colin wrote in a text message. “I wanted to be part of his first film. I supported his vision as a director.”
Stillz’s Vision is also created through a long-standing collaboration with superstar Bad Bunny. The pair filmed more than 20 music videos together.
“It’s amazing,” Stills says. “Through these works, he has given me freedom and creativity, and he is an incredible collaborator, and I have been working with him, especially for as long as we have.
