Asian American Film: Features

In a Fugue State - Interview with Teo Carlo Pulgar

06.03 - Posted by Editor

Noah in a crowd

In a Fugue State
An interview with Teo Carlo Pulgar, director of "Staccato Fugue"

By Chris Castillo

06.03.02

AAF Tell me about yourself.

TCP My brother & I arrived in New York from the Philippines right before kindergarten. Having very little friends & developing a feeling of not fitting in made me very introspective. It brought me close to my uncle's collection of history & art books. Imagining and drawing at a young age paved the way to escapism & finally filmmaking.

Links

SDAFF 2001 Best Experimental Film

AAF   Tell me about your film.

TCP   "Staccato Fugue" is a tale about a strange man's inadvertent journey to a forgotten past, which unravels in his head. The vehicle, in his condition, would be his false illusion of "mind reading." The tricky part was trying to convey to the audience that the images & sounds that the character of Noah Twiss was receiving were the thoughts of others. This became a challenge for me to show by executing the various cinematography & editing techniques. Finally it's later revealed to Noah that this brings him closer to the truth -- projections from a tragic moment from his past to the many strangers he meets, little pieces to a puzzle that fall into place & ultimately brings him out of this amnesiac fugue state.

AAF   Where has it been shown?

TCP   It was developed at the MFA program at the City College of New York. It debuted in May of 2000 at the NY Cityvisions Film & Video showcase, garnering the award for best cinematography & best editing. In September of 2001, it was screened at the San Diego Asian Film Festival 2001 where it received "Best Experimental Film." It was inspiring.

AAF   What are your influences?

TCP   Music. Architecture. My wife.

AAF   Tell me about the music part.

TCP   I didn't always enjoy learning the piano growing up, but my folks always thought this was a good move. It later helped me connect to the sentimentality I had for the influential film music like "Caravans," "King Kong" (the 1977 version) & "The Dark Crystal" including cheesy flicks --like, "Hawk the Slayer," "Bermuda Depths" & the TV series, "The Phoenix." Since I was 10 I've collected film soundtracks to "relive & reinvent." After I have listened to a tune I paced quickly around my room often re-inventing new stories based on feelings elicited by music or brooding on the piano (which I often did with all the lights turned off). I remember once being so moved by the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi by the hands of Vader, I sat for like 40 minutes thinking about it on the stairs before making my way to the piano. I became quite sensitive to the use of music in film language. But ultimately, it was "Blade Runner" by Ridley Scott & an excellent soundtrack from Vangelis, which made me believe that -- it was (no, not film) - architecture-- that I should pursue. Man, I was off. But it proved to be a blessing in disguise.

AAF   Talk about the relationship between architecture and art.

TCP   Architecture at Pratt Institute was key. The study of aesthetic on static bodies & space oddly enough was substantial in the creation of many ideas; that there was a tale of transformation. Context, memory, form & function were important parts in the conception of a building design. The pyramids of Egypt told of a tale of the pharaoh's role on earth, his journey to the afterlife & the afterlife itself. The Japanese bonsai tree symbolized 3 parts: man, earth & heaven. In the course of my studies, it later became apparent that the commonalities in the various artistic crafts made it all the more easier to conjure up ideas. For instance, in graphics there is the 3 parts of composition: the dominant, sub-dominant & the sub-ordinate. In music, there is the chord (which are 3 concordant tones sounded simultaneously), which akin to a story has 3 acts: the introduction, conflict & resolution.

AAF   How has this film affected you personally?

TCP   Since this short film was developed, I've continued my own transformation. I've been a new father & husband, sharing a wealth of ideas with my best friend & my wife, Sonia, my constant creative collaborator. Since the birth of our daughter, Tessa, the three of us point towards the beginning of stability & spiritual harmony. Starting "late" in this film career, has supplied me with enough elixir to animate life to the inanimate & infuse the static into the kinetic.

AAF   Why do you want to be a filmmaker?

TCP   This crazy unending passion & worthwhile easiness of absorbing an excruciatingly taxing craft, both physically & mentally, to execute the means of telling a limitless array of alternative stories from an idea to the screen has proven to be a beautiful means to a rewarding end. In short, the escapism, the fun, the passion & the unexpected. It's also pleasant is working with other people who can relate to this teamwork.

AAF   What is your film trying to say?

TCP   After seeing my short film, people have often asked me if I was influenced by "Unbreakable" or "Memento." No, but instead I found my inspiration for it through "The Usual Suspects" by Brian Singer & "Le Jetee" by Chris Marker. I was thrilled by the plot twist at the end of each film & the shortsightedness of their characters. To be honest, in all my films-- I don't convey meanings or suggest social statements. What was I trying to convey with "Staccato Fugue"? Nothing. I don't know. I just wanted to make a film about a strange person with issues & finishing it so I can see how it turns out. Whatever meanings emerge is entirely up to the viewer.

AAF   Anything else you want to add?

TCP   Anybody interested in of great stories, contact me at teocarlo@yahoo.com. I'm looking for producers. And then some...

Christopher Ad. Castillo is a writer/producer/filmmaker whose feature film, the psychological thriller "The Sky Is Falling," will be playing at the Asian American International Film Festival in New York City on July 20. A member of the Filipino American filmmaking group the63collective, he served as writer/producer on "She" and is in pre-production on his next feature film, "A World Without End." He is based in Los Angeles and can be reached at catalystfilms@attbi.com.

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Posted by: tony on March 30, 2004 08:05 PM

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