Interview: Amat Escalante (The Untamed)

After three features steeped in what would could describe as hyperrealism, Amat Escalante makes a slight deviation, introducing towards fantastical elements in his fourth feature film. After winning Best Director prize in Cannes for Heli, Amat Escalante arrived at last year’s TIFF with another Best Director win at the Venice Film Festival for The Untamed.

In our conversion, we discuss the larger significance of the film’s title, how his own home’s region informs the filmmaker on the tone of his films, the resemblances found in his quartet character set, the introduction the film’s key supernatural element and in referencing Samuel Fuller’s quote “like If your first scene doesn’t give you a hard on, throw it out!” we touched upon some of his signature strong imagery.

Strand Releasing releases The Untamed in NY today at the IFC Center, and it opens in LA on 7/28 at The Cinefamily, Laemmle’s Monica Film Center and Playhouse 7. Here’s his my sit-down with the filmmaker.