Proxima

Now Carlos Atanes tells us about his movie "Proxima":

I made Proxima because, as a child, I was a huge fan of science fiction films, and I wanted to recapture that "sense of wonder" I felt when watching movies like Silent Running, 2001: A Space Odyssey, or Planet of the Apes. Proxima is a tribute to those films —and to all the dreamers who, like me, imagine humanity conquering the universe.

Making Proxima was a wild and chaotic ride, full of memorable moments. There's even a documentary about the experience, titled Made in Proxima, available on the film’s official website. One of the most dangerous incidents occurred while we were shooting alien landscapes at the bottom of Corta Atalaya —the largest open-pit mine in Europe. While a red lake of sulfuric acid at the bottom emitted toxic fumes, a violent storm triggered landslides on the surrounding walls, putting us at real risk of flooding and collapse. Had the walls given way, we would have been buried under tons of rock. Another unforgettable (and slightly terrifying) moment was when we filmed Oriol Aubets —the lead actor— with real ammunition.

The entire shoot lasted between 30 and 40 days, although I honestly lost track.

For this film, I left the technical side of cinematography to our Director of Photography, Joan Babiloni, a highly skilled professional. He chose the camera —an HDV model from JVC. I don’t recall the exact specs. The film’s visual style was shaped by the budget, Babiloni’s personal taste, and our early discussions about lighting, tone, lenses, and color. I showed him many comics from the 1970s and '80s. We discussed how Enki Bilal created cold, alien atmospheres using warm color schemes. We also looked at works by sci-fi illustrators like Chris Foss and Tim White. Based on those references, Babiloni created a color palette that guided the props, costumes, and set design. His lighting corrections in post-production were minimal —most of the look was achieved in-camera.

As for the future of cinema, I believe it belongs either to big-budget or ultra-low-budget productions. Big-budget films have multiple financing avenues and marketing power. Low-budget films, on the other hand, can be profitable because their costs are minimal, and with some luck, they can still earn a return. Medium-budget films, however, are caught in the middle and are often doomed —except for a handful of breakout successes. In Europe, these films only survive thanks to government subsidies, which says a lot. I believe the future holds the decline of mid-budget filmmaking.

Proxima had a budget of roughly $65,000 to $70,000, funded mainly through personal contributions from friends and, most significantly, a bank loan. We're still paying it back. That’s the less glamorous side of ultra-independent filmmaking.

Watch Made in PROXIMA: Underground science fiction: