The winner takes it all!

What a coincidence! Some time ago OIFE had prepared an interview with Pablo Ostarek, an artist with OI, which you can read below. And this week, we congratulate him for winning the 1st prize in the International Rare Disease Film Festival for his short film “This is not a person”!

The film is about the Spanish woman Elisenda (45), who didn’t get to live an independent life because of overprotection.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Pablo Ostarek. I am 28 years old. I try to get by with different jobs, but my aim is to be a full time film director. Although it is hard to find a way to get paid with our projects, we have to keep trying to make that happen.

In what way has OI affected your art?

I don’t really think that OI has affected my art directly. Who I am determines the art I make, and I happen to have OI. I guess there are themes and types of stories that I have been more interested in since I was a child that we could link to having OI. The time spent at the hospital or the consequences of certain breaks have definitely had an effect on me as a human being, and have resulted in certain doubts and fears that I would not dream of shying away from in any of my projects.

In our new documentary film, my colleague Miguel Rodríguez and I look into the consequences of overprotecting a person with OI. That may be the most direct link any of my work has had with OI, but then again, in our case OI is the context, or the world our characters are in, but the film as a whole is not about OI.

Tell us about the Film Festivals!

You have already been accepted for many film Festivals which is fantastic! Can you tell us a bit about this? Yeah! Miguel and I have worked hard on our short film “This is not a person”. We don’t have much experience in the film festival circuit but it isn’t going bad considering it’s our first big project. Our project was selected in about 10 film festivals so far, but we are hoping to make it into a few other official selections soon.

What projects are you currently working on?

We are working on another documentary about the living situation in Spain. We are mostly interested in the difficulties young people have to face nowadays when it comes to forming a family and being able to be completely independent. The project is still in its early phases, but we are hoping to film it some time in 2021.

Then we also have a few short film ideas, and every now and then we shoot a videoclip for friends, but money is tight and it may be a bit tough to film everything we want in the near future. We are hopeful though!

Why do you do what you do?

I have had this idea in my head for a long time. I love movies and I just kind of started on that road one day. It isn’t easy and nothing ever works out perfectly, but it often brings joy and pursuing a career as a film director gives my life purpose. There is also a certain need to create. I love music, but I’m not a musician because I’m not good at making music. I love film and writing, and so far I haven’t been too bad at making it. So I’ve decided to keep going and learning and trying to get better.

What themes do you pursue?

I am interested in perception. I believe the way everybody looks at and perceives what surrounds them is key to making up your mind on reality. The way every individual feels different when subjected to the same stimulus is fascinating. Human emotions and feelings can enrich a character in so many ways and make them unique. Plunging your main character into a made up context and seeing where it takes him or her is the foundation of any story. I don’t know if I can say that I pursue certain themes more than others. One day I get obsessed about the story of a lonely, depressed, self-involved character and the next day I can’t stop thinking about a comedic, coral, mockumentary style sitcom similar to “The Office”.

What kind of work do you most enjoy doing?

I enjoy many parts of the process of filmmaking, but lately I have really been loving video editing. I have a pretty good computer and I really enjoy throwing together shots and experimenting in the editing room.

What’s your favorite art work?

No idea. I’m not going to think too hard on this question, so i’m keeping the answer strange: the live video that you can find on youtube of The Rolling Stones performing at the Checkerboard Lounge in Chicago in 1981 (44:23). The whole thing is just one lovely piece of historic art.

It’s a documentary in its own right. It’s Scorsese’s 1969 Woodstock documentary in a very, very small, unplanned way. But it’s original and authentic and it makes me feel great every time I watch it.

You can see the trailer of Esto no es una persona below. And you can read more about the film project here.