Paraiso, Outer Space
A walk in the Bardo illuminated by city lights, a sea of connections that look like people.
The story follows Anton, who is celebrating his bachelor's party when he learns that his best friend Carlos has passed away. Anton tries to return to the party, but it's impossible. He is devastated, angry, sad and confused. So, after confronting the ghost of his friend, he starts walking.
He walks through the city and meets other people, stories that are passing through this world. Anton is faced with his grief and fears about the future. As he walks deeper into the city, he is forced to look at his choices and face his sorrows.
This film is a moment of encounter, a celebration of serendipity, a walk through change and grief, marked by the poetic spirit of cinema in a city after hours.
Director's note
This film was born of an impulse, like a lightning strike. The idea of a man wandering the city and meeting other worlds had been in the back of my mind for some time, and about a year ago, a good friend passed away. The story grew into one about a person walking through grief and meeting his ghosts. From the past and the present. The process of understanding and accepting what was lost and what remains.
I describe the film as: ‘A walk through the Bardo, meeting a sea of connections shaped as people.' The bardo is a liminal space in Buddhist philosophy, a moment of transition. This is the framework for Anton's walk. He must face his grief over the past, fears for the future and his own relationship with the present.
The presence of ghosts is felt throughout the film. They are entities without time that interact with the present, the past and a potential future. The presence of Carlos as a ghost is what allows Anton to have a dialogue with the past, while Sonja's presence highlights that Anton does not exist in a vacuum and that his experience is connected to those with whom he has relationships.
The language of the film is a balance between the naturalistic and the metaphorical. It is what Alejo Carpentier called ‘lo real maravilloso' (the wonderful real), which means drawing inspiration from reality and its wonderful coincidences. Think of it as seeing the same person three times on the same night or a beautiful voice singing through the night as if nobody could hear.
We openly invite the audience to embrace these meanings and metaphors, the kind that exist in cinema, such as ghosts and serendipity. I propose an awareness of the cinematic device, one that invites the audience to share Anton's point of view, understand his journey and relate it to their own experiences. This is achieved through a minimalist aesthetic that embraces the city and lets the cast become presences in the night and part of Anton's walk through the Bardo.
Biography
Carlos is a Colombian film director based in Estonia.
His Documentary feature ‘A Loss of Something Ever felt’ premiered in Hot docs in 2020 and received the Best Documentary film Award at the Estonian Film and Television Awards in 2021.
Currently Carlos is in postproduction with his second documentary feature ‘Beautiful Stupid Thing’ and in postproduction with his feature film 'Paraiso, Outer Space' and developing his follow up fiction feature film.
Producer's note
Carlos's films talk about life. They tear the soul open, but in a way that doesn't hurt – it soothes. He has explored themes of self and family through short films, experimental films and documentaries. As a filmmaker (and a person), he is playful and experimental in the best possible way, bringing you closer to often difficult topics without letting you get lost in them. He makes you think about death while reminding you that life is for the living.
With this film, Carlos wanted to expand his mind and filmmaking style by taking an experimental approach. He found like-minded friends among the cast and crew to join him on an improvisational journey through the city at night. I wanted to take part in this project because it is free from constraints, and I find that inspiring. Carlos had a story that feels like a poem (and is based on one – Uno by Mariano Blatt), built around the idea that, in the best or worst of times, night brings solace, peace and understanding. He turned that into a feature film that deals with life, death, the future and the past.
We shot for 11 days in August at different locations around Tallinn. Our cast is headlined by Rea Lest-Liik, Jarmo Reha, Markus Truup, Alo Kõrve, Seren Orozvary, Katariina Tamm and others who joined us for the ride. The creative crew also includes cinematographer Diego Barajas, sound recordist and sound designer Vincent Roy and editor Patrick Antonjuk.
We will be in post-production through the spring of next year and plan to have the finished film ready by next summer. We are looking for a strong festival premiere to support our distribution at home. Even better would be a sales or distribution partner who wants to join the journey – someone to work with us on the final cut. Someone who wants to be inspired by the lack of constraints and sense of freedom that leave room for the miracles, mistakes and small victories that will shape the finished film.
Biography
Lili Pilt is a film producer with a diverse background in international film production, translation and cultural programming. She has worked as line producer and service producer on standout arthouse films and U.S. productions looking to shoot in Estonia. Now she is expanding her mind and filmmaking style by joining Carlos on his crazy and inspiring ride with the experimental feature "Paraiso, Outer Space".
Profile
Tin Can is an independent film production company focused on auteur projects. We look for projects that experiment with form and narrative but are full of heart. We are passionate about creating worlds in playful ways, where artistic exploration drives everything. We are a young company focused on creation and experimentation, aiming to make the best films and art pieces we can, always putting creative vision first.
We are engaged in different creative activities focused on film, visual art and sharing them with the public. We are currently beginning distribution of the feature documentary Beautiful Stupid Thing, securing financing for the short documentary We Don't Talk About It and distributing the experimental short Play/Repeat.