Mamá & Papá

Filmmaker, Eric Flores Garnelo, Reconnects with his Parents with these Moving Portraits

Having lived away from home since the age of 18, Guadalajara- Based filmmaker and videographer, Erick Flores Garnelo saw very little of his parents for several years. ‘At the beginning, the long distance relationship with my parents was ok,’ he told us. ‘But as the years went by, I started to miss them.’

Triggered by a song he heard whilst working, Erick felt the unshakeable need to reconnect with his parents, and honor them through his work. Thus came the video portraits, Mamá and Papá.

Papá

‘The main challenge was to really communicate their essence, what I really see inside of them.’ he said, ‘In the case of my dad, choosing the music was a challenge. I had been searching for some references but didn’t like any of them, so I composed this song with a hollow beginning and a strong ending, full of energy.’

Mamá

Erick believes that the combination of these two videos, can give people a clear idea of the man he is today. We found out more about these touching videos.

The Plus: Did your parents enjoy being filmed by you?
Erick Flores Garnelo: They had a lot of fun. My dad was very anxious about doing it and my mom didn’t realise that I saw her in that way. They were both very proud and happy and I felt our bond was stronger at the end. And just for that, it was a total win.

TP: In Papá we see that your dad is very interested in photography as well, in what way does he inspire you?
EFG: He has a lot of pictures of my siblings and I, growing up. He is not the best photographer, but he looks at the world in another way, like I do. He’s one of my biggest inspirations; for how he looks at life.

TP: Why did you choose to use both black & white, and colour in your films?
EFG: I like to play with color correction all the time. But also, it has a psychological basis. My dad is an accountant, and his work is about what is and what isn’t. However he has always said that everything is in grayscale. In Papá, what he is looking at is in black and white for that reason, and also gives this nostalgic feeling.

TP: What is the main message you want to carry forward with these videos?
EFG: That you have to believe in something. You must look into your parents or close relatives to realise what you are, and what influences they have on you. And last but not least, this is a tribute to them.

Music in Mamá by LaBon, name of the track “improvisation 1“.