Fort Worth filmmaker CHRIS ZUHDI doesn’t lack the motivation and determination needed to get a film made. Just take a look at his latest film, MEXICAN MOON. With this his second narrative feature, Chris is writer, director, producer, cinematographer, editor, and the principal lead actor. And as if that’s not enough production hats to juggle, the film was shot during the pandemic.
Shooting with very minimal cast and crew in Hico, Texas, Chris kept the production aspect of the shoot light and nimble by predominantly using a Blackmagic Pocket 6K camera and minimal lighting package and taking an “old school” visual approach of “motivated versus unmotivated light” which gives a very theatrical look to this film, suiting this story well.
MEXICAN MOON is the tale of Vietnam veteran Sonny Tripono. Already facing hard economic times thanks in large part to the stranglehold of a Mexican drug cartel on this small sleepy little West Texas town in 1980, things get worse when Sonny is laid off from his job. In order to survive, Sonny gets wind of the burial by the cartel of $100,000 in a fake grave near the Mexican border and decides to steal the money. As comes as no surprise, this sets off a chain reaction of events that lead to danger and violence as well as some contemplative introspection for Sonny. But will his own self-discovery come in time to stave off any more violence and death? And what of the money?
I spoke at length with CHRIS ZUHDI, running the gamut from filmmaking influences like the Coen Brothers to the inspiration for MEXICAN MOON, tackling the technical versus performance aspects of the film in light of the multiple hats he’s wearing, developing a visual style, working with actors, casting Texas talent, pandemic protocols and their impact on the shoot, scoring, and more.
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview May 26, 2021
MEXICAN MOON is now streaming free on Amazon Prime.
