Last Friday here at So Catchy! we had the honor of bringing you the worldwide release of Juanja Torres’ latest work, the first fashion film from Alejandra Jaime Mendoza, better known as Maria Magdalena. Apart from the film, we wanted to share with you the talk we had with Alejandra and Juanja about the piece, which serves to reinforce the potent message behind We Are Cattle.
We Are Cattle – A Fashion Film by Maria Magdalena from María Magdalena on Vimeo.
So Catchy!: Juanja, what was it like to make this fashion film with Maria Magdalena?
Juanja Torres: Besides being able to help someone who is going to be one of the greatest designers in Spain in a few years, and besides helping a great friend from secondary school, I wanted to be able to set my creativity free to create a fashion film that is set apart from the more basic beginnings of fashion videos. Many pieces don’t take full advantage of the audiovisual possibilities available to them and are simply videos with a girl who is well-dressed and all done up with make-up on a fabulous stage of sorts. I wanted to avoid the classical mistakes that, in my opinion, don’t represent the essence of what a fashion film is.
SC!: Can you tell us any interesting stories from behind the scenes of We Are Cattle?
JT: It was a short, intense and complicated shoot. There was a funny part when we were shooting in the slaughterhouse. We had two actors who were playing the part of workers and we had to dress them in outfits from María Magdalena, and also in chainmail gloves to handle the meat. The problem was that the gloves were left-handed and they weren’t that big so they were difficult for the actors to put on but they had to share them and the links would dig in whenever they cut the pig. After four takes, the suffering on the faces of Jose and Edu, their looks were pleading to end it now, it almost made you want to laugh, and to cry.
SC!: If you could define your fashion film in three words, which would you choose?
JT: Meat, Silence, Stimulation.
SC!: Juanja, what will you be working on next?
JT: I’m developing, together with Miguel “El Mueso” a web series with three episodes called ‘Black Stuff’, which comes out in October. A part from that, there are always ideas, scripts and proposals around, it’s just hard to know which one will be next.
SC!: Alejandra, how does it feel to have your first fashion film?
Alejandra Jaime Mendoza: It’s the perfect way to complete the message behind the collection, it allows me to explain the concept in more depth. The topic is quite large and ambiguous but we’ve tried to tell a story that summarizes it without leaving out any of the important parts.
SC!: Alejandra, what was it like on the set?
AJM: Difficult, there were thousands of setbacks: fines for parking, the GPS didn’t work on the tunnels on the M30, scenes that dragged out when we were running out of time… But I learned a lot from the great team that we worked with. Everyone was very professional and talented. The director, J.J. Torres, is a good friend and brilliant and I enjoy working with people I look up to. It was incredible, really.
SC!: How has your experience in the fashion world been since you finished your studies? Did you ever think you would end up here?
AJM: It’s been fun and new, of course, I’m always learning, and stressful and gratifying in equal parts. I’ve had some truly opposing feelings. And I never imagined that it would be like this because I never thought about the future. I’ve always just set myself a goal and gone after it and that hasn’t given me too much time to brood on it.
SC!: What will you be working on next? Can you let us in on what’s in the works?
AJM: I’m working on a new collection. I want to improve on what I’ve done and it won’t be at all similar to WE ARE CATTLE, but I will focus on the conceptual development of my inspiration.
Photos from the making of by Julio Numar and Simone Gallucci
Translation and Layout by Michael Padilla
