''Red Cockroaches'' (Spanish: ''Cucarachas Rojas'') is a film released in 2003. This feature film was the debut production of
Miguel Coyula
Miguel Coyula Aquino (born March 31, 1977, in Havana) is a Cuban filmmaker and writer. At age 17, he made his first short with a VHS camcorder, which led to his admittance to Escuela Internacional de Cine y Television (The International Film and ...
and was the result of a two-year effort on a $2,000 budget. Shot entirely using a portable digital camcorder and edited on a home computer, ''Red Cockroaches'' is an example of
DIY cinema. In its review, ''
Variety'' called it a "A triumph of technology in the hands of a visionary with know-how..." It is the first of a trilogy which continues with ''
Blue Heart (film)
''Blue Heart'' ( es, Corazón Azul) is an independent sci-fi Cuban film directed, written and produced by Miguel Coyula, starring Lynn Cruz, Carlos Gronlier and Héctor Noas. The film premiered at the 2021 Moscow International Film Festival. It ...
''.
Plot
A young man meets a mysterious girl in the subway and gets romantically involved with her, only to later discover that she might be his long lost sister. Dark and atmospheric, the world the characters inhabit is an alternative New York City with bouts of
Acid Rain
Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists between 6.5 and 8.5, but acid ...
and ruled by an omnipotent cloning company called DNA21.
Visuals
Based on carefully planned storyboards, every time there is a cut in the film it is to a new camera setup that hasn't been used before, as opposed to traditional film language where the editor cuts back to the same shot during a scene. In the case of Red Cockroaches the influence of comic book storytelling is obvious.
Some reviewers have pointed that scene transitions and edits mimic the effect of a
pop-up book
The term pop-up book is often applied to any book with three-dimensional pages, although it is properly the umbrella term for movable book, pop-ups, tunnel books, transformations, volvelles, flaps, pull-tabs, pop-outs, pull-downs, and more, each ...
.
Rather than attempting to make
DV look like film, the colors were digitally manipulated to the extreme with the purpose of enhancing the atmosphere. This along with multiple layer composites generated the movie’s distinctive, often saturated look.
Awards
* GreenCine Online Film Festival, US, June 2005: Narrative Grand Prize
* San Francisco Fearless Tales, US, April 2005: Best Editing
* Festival
Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre
Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre (BARS) is an international film festival devoted to the genres of science fiction, horror and fantasy. It began in 2000 with a focus on independent films in those genres, and since 2004 in the form of a competitive festi ...
, Argentina, Nov 2004: Special Mention for Visual Concept
* SciencePlusFiction, Italy, Nov 2004: Special Mention
* Festival Cineplaza, Cuba, Oct 2004: Gran Premio Plaza
* Festival Cineplaza, Cuba, Oct 2004: Best Director
* Festival Cineplaza, Cuba, Oct 2004: Best Editing
* Festival Cineplaza, Cuba, Oct 2004: Best Sound
* Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best of Fest
* Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best Director
* Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best Science Fiction Feature
* Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best Actor
* Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best Editing
* Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best FX
* Encuentro Nacional de Video, Cuba, June 2004: Best Editing
* Encuentro Nacional de Video, Cuba, June 2004: Special Mention (Narrative)
* Encuentro Nacional de Video, Cuba, June 2004: Best Cinematography
* Digital Independent Film Festival (DIFF), US, May 2004: Grand Jury Prize
* Muestra de Nuevos Realizadores, Cuba, Feb 2004: Special Award of the Jury
* Festival Almacen de la Imagen, Cuba, Oct 2003: Best Feature
* Festival Almacen de la Imagen, Cuba, Oct 2003: Best Editing
* Festival Almacen de la Imagen, Cuba, Oct 2003: Cinema Award
See also
*
List of Cuban films
References
External links
Red Cockroaches: The Official Website
* {{IMDb title, id=0389313, title=Red Cockroaches
Red Cockroaches at Rotten TomatoesVariety ReviewDigital Content Producer: Profile on Red Cockroaches
2003 films
Cuban drama films
Films set in the United States
2000s English-language films