Ivan Noel: In Your Absence

Posted by admin on Oct 21, 2008 in Arts & Culture | 0 comments

When Ivan Noel decided to write his first film, it was simply to create “the right pictures to set his music to.” As an accomplished Spanish guitar player and composer for films and concerts, Noel envisioned “a close relationship between film and music…that’s what I’m always striving for.”

The result is a debut film about a young boy’s transition from youth to manhood. Set in the idyllic countryside of Jerez de la Fontera, Spain, Noel used only a single camera and microphone to capture the surrounding paradise with the discerning gaze of an oil painter. Rich pastoral interludes and expansive landscapes carefully mirror the action as Noel attempted to “make nature come alive as much as the people did, and to reflect them as well.” These lush, meditative segments belie the tense, suspicious themes that Noel deemed “essential” to the film’s plot.

“We live in a world of suspicion—that was an important part of the narrative. [To capture this] we just put people in front of the camera and let them think for themselves.”

The entire cast and crew, Noel included, hail from the village depicted in the film, and essentially play themselves; the local postman was “the Postman”, the mechanic “the Mechanic”, etc. Furthermore, only 3 of the actors—young Pablo, mysterious stranger Paco, and lustful teenager Julia—had ever acted before. Not only did this add veracity and a unique synergy between the themes and environment, but it also allowed first-time director Noel to remain comfortable with his actors.

“I had no idea what I was doing, and these people hadn’t acted, didn’t know how to act! So I would film them, all day, repeating lines, over and over, until I got something natural I could use.”

For a musician with no film experience, Noel had “no idea what was good or not, or even if the local channel would pick it up,” yet In Your Absence continues to earn more publicity and accolades as it continues on this year’s film festival circuit. Noel also announced that his second film has completed filming, and will be released in the near future.