In Raimalla’s “Big Rip” (El Grandes Garo), the upcoming film of the Madrid Film School (ECAM) incubator program, aspiring writer Lorena is racing to complete her first novel in time for the prestigious literary award. Set a deadline, she focuses herself and focuses, but the mess of everyday life continues to infiltrate. The broken boiler in a burnt summer in Madrid, the crisis of her flatmates, the neglected child next door, and her brother’s spiral paranoia are sure he is about to end the world.
Confined in the final chapter, without any inspiration, Lorena’s life begins to reflect the unraveled universe around her.
For Maria, “The Big Rip” is her third feature and the most personal feature ever. “It cuts through me on every level. In some way, I think it all started with the depression I experienced a while ago. Being 40 is not easy, and like the characters in this story, I felt something open inside me,” she says.
“But the starting point was dark and painful, but I wanted to make a comedy, an existential comedy.
“I realized a while ago that everything I’m doing is marked by the idea of destiny,” she said.
“Some of the themes that make me most unsettled are present in this film: the housing crisis, the economic and emotional instability that the characters endure. But beyond the theme, what I really care about is finding out what I call “lightning.”
While she’s been filming in her extreme homeland in recent years, Maria will be filming in Madrid as much of the story takes place in the working-class neighborhood of Karabanchell. “I finally make a film that feels really modern – and definitely Madrillenian. The big burst at the heart of the story only happened in Madrid,” she says.
For Garde producer Christina Helgèta, “Big Lip” was her third collaboration with Maria, starting with a special feature called “Karen,” followed by a brief “La Niña Martil,” which won the John Film Festival.
“Both films were highly praised and there were strong festival runs. Now we’re ready to take the next step. We’re working with the most ambitious and vast films ever.”
“The ‘big lip’ is the natural evolution of our creative journey. Over the last eight years, Raimalia and I have developed a friendship beyond expertise and have a complete understanding of each other.
According to Hergueta, the project will be subject to a public funding cap of 75% of the total budget, allowing public grants to be combined with tax incentives. They already have private investors and are talking with local co-producers that they are actively seeking international partners.
They’ve already secured 23% of the film’s funding, combining support from Junta de Extremadura, an incubator for the ECAM industry, as they confirm private investment, Hergueta says.
Among her other projects are artist Pedro G. Romero’s next two flamenco film projects: “Kara Cafe in Kazakhstan” and “Cinco Kadi” and “Cinco Kadi”.
She adds: “We’ve completed the post-production of Sarah Moraro’s documentary feature, “What We Did with Shadows.”
