He audiovisual Objects of Desirestarring Mauricio Rentería and Alex Cowley, is inspired by the story “A Reasonable Offer” by Jorge Luis Sánchez Noya, and presents a complex situation where interests overshadow any hint of humanity or compassion.
The plot, black comedy and with touches of the classic noir which describes the criminal fabric of a city, focuses on young Jessy (Alex Cowley), who must do what she had never imagined to help her mother: seduce Carlos (Mauricio Renteria). But things end unexpectedly.
The film obtained an honorable mention at the ARFF Barcelona international film festival, in addition to awards such as the Envision Award (also in Spain) and Best Cinematography (in Canada).
Alejandro Rentería is a creator who looks for compelling stories that are combined with an art direction to match. Furthermore, he comes from a family of artists: his siblings are the talented Cuban actors Lili and Mauricio Rentería.
Finding the perfect story
“The short film is the result of a fear,” Alejandro Rentería confessed in an interview with DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS.
Indeed, the artist faced the demons of uncertainty from the genesis of the project, when in a work meeting with several producers he learned that he would have to manage a budget that he had not controlled before. He assumed the responsibility with the premise that the story had to be attractive, for which he had the help of writer JLS Noya.
“I ran to Noya’s apartment and told him: ‘Start reading whatever short story you have already written.’ After having read a few, it jumped out and Noya tells me: ‘I would love to see your brother (Mauricio) in this character, And what’s more, I know a young actor who can play Jessy,'” the filmmaker recalled.
Another side of Miami
Objects of Desire It is an essay on the darkest limits of humanity, those seams where morality is dispersed under a mantle of primary, wild needs. And that is what the audiovisual creator manages to convey in his 18-minute film, a brutal encounter between two people where the most individual interests take precedence.
These objects of desire are the instinctive pulse towards money and material things, and not towards the flesh, as the filmmaker reflects when contrasting the young man’s sexual proposal with the other’s rejection.
The filming, which took place in Miami, took about three nights to complete and had a small crew. But we will not see here the typical image of that Miami of tourist brochures. Renteria is sharp in stripping the city of clichés and Latin rhythms to show a universal conflict.
His subtle photography work is interesting when drawing the city, marking the tempo of this story, which reveals the patina of a muted, cold Miami, between shadows and humidity, ready for death and disappointment.
As Renteria stated, “I like the story not because it talks about Miami, I like it because it is universal, unfortunately things like this happen everywhere. The flavor of Miami, of the Cuban emigrant in need and of those who already have time and have amassed wealth It was secondary.”
In fact, he noted that “something similar happened to him with the LGBTQ+ community since the story has gay references, which in fact is very Miami. But for me the story transcends those brushstrokes and is a contemporary tragedy and, thinking about it now, I think Miami “It helps me give it that tone of black comedy. Miami is big, there is a lot of space where the sun doesn’t shine and these stories are nourished by the humidity of the sordid.”
A family of artists
Regarding the direction of actors, one notices the careful work to achieve an atmosphere of tense intimacy between Mauricio and Alex, a resource that the cinema, with its very close-ups, enhances so effectively.
The filmmaker stated that working with his brother Mauricio was gratifying. “My brother is the nicest of the Renterías, and he has a grace that he lends to this character, that despite being so dark and dense, you end up loving him and you feel bad about what happens to him. That is only possible because the gift and grace that God has placed in my brother,” said the director.
The actor Mauricio Rentería in the short Objeto de Deseo. Courtesy/Alejandro Rentería
Courtesy/Alejandro Rentería
It is worth noting that the renowned actress Lili Rentería has a special participation in the short film.
Alejandro Rentería, 41, arrives at the Miami Film Festival—which is also celebrating its 41st anniversary—with the satisfaction of going down the path that he is most passionate about, and honoring those who taught him to love art.
The short film “is dedicated to the memory of my father (Pedro Rentería) because he is present, we see him, those who knew him and see my brother’s performance will see my father. Also because honoring where we come from reminds us that it is a gift , that the gift of creating is not one’s own, they do not lend it”.
“What can I tell you about my father… My father taught me the most important thing in this life. Life is to be lived well. He didn’t teach me this in theory, he showed me in actions. So at 41 years old I am eternally searching, savoring and building the ethical and the aesthetic, that each action has beauty and is good. And I hope that the audience perceives it in the work,” he added.
Making films about all things
Renteria confesses that his appetite for cinema, for stories, is insatiable. His creative corpus is nourished by numerous influences. As he explained, “it’s hard for me to see myself, I’ve seen so much cinema in these 30 years that I don’t know who I’ve stolen from.”
He declares himself an admirer of the work of filmmakers such as Ridley Scott, Tarsem Singh (director of The Fall), Federico Fellini (especially in the film 8½), Paul Thomas Anderson, Billy Wilder (whom he enjoys “his entertaining way of telling stories”), and Alejandro González Iñárritu.
Along these lines, he recalled an anecdote from his childhood: “I was about 7 years old, on the sunny beach of Varadero enjoying the sea for hours. The more I played in the sea, as time went by my hunger increased and at sunset I ran to my mother, who had saved me a croquette. I grabbed it with my wet hands and it slipped. It fell on the sand, I picked it up, looked at it carefully and shook it as best I could. I ate it! What a delicious croquette, God. mine! I still remember its taste. That’s more or less what it’s like to make movies in Miami: when there’s no budget, you have to eat a delicious croquette with a little bit of sand, if you’re hungry.”
As he admitted, “anything worthwhile would always have challenges as a rule of life. Now I can honestly tell you that there is everything here to make top-level cinema,” and he noted that all that is needed is funds and creativity.
More about the filmmaker
Alejandro Rentería He was born in Havana, Cuba, to a caste of actors, and began his creative journey from an early age. At age ten, his family moved to Caracas, Venezuela, where she immersed herself in the vibrant world of theater and performing arts. Immigrating to the United States in 2002, Alejandro settled in Miami, continuing his training in cinematography while honing his skills as a visual storyteller.
Shortly after, he founded Thinking Monkeys Films, a production company that served as the outlet for his creative vision. Under his banner, Alejandro directed and produced more than 30 commercials adapted for the U.S. Hispanic market, led more than 900 projects for government and corporate entities over the past decade, and contributed to numerous television and film efforts.
