How Alex Orea Found His Chulo

What was the inspiration behind the story and how did Chulo come to be?

“Chulo is inspired by my experiences with queer dating in LA; I really wanted to channel this feeling of longing and queer desire. First and foremost, I wanted to see a queer Mexican love story. The only time we see queer media, it's between two white people or one white person and a person of color. I wanted to see two Mexicans falling in love and make something that feels genuine and authentic. Mexican culture is so ingrained in LA, and anytime we see LA portrayed in film, it's Hollywood or celebrity or influencer culture and yes, that’s an aspect of it but there's also the LA that I know. The one I grew up around, that I'm friends with people in those neighborhoods. I wanted to highlight that.”

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Repression, machismo, and desire, these are all common themes in queer Latinx cinema. How did you go about approaching these themes in the story?

“It was definitely a key part of the characters that I was writing. [Queer people] grow up hiding parts of ourselves and trying to be somebody that we're not until we finally realize and follow who we truly are. Our parents grew up in a generation where it was a very by-the-rules harsh mentality, and very religious. That plays a factor into everyday people's lives. There may be families or other queer people that aren't out yet, that are struggling with that as well. And it's because of societal expectations or pressures that they can't, and that's really something that I wanted to portray.”

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What was it like working with Germain and Christian? What about them stood out to you as actors for this project?

“To me it was very important that the two actors had chemistry. We were doing in-person auditions with a group of "chulos.” We would pair them up, and based on who we thought was a better fit, we'd select them down. There was something between Christian and Germain that you could feel through the screen. You just have to follow that instinct. When I choose actors, I really look for somebody that I know I can trust, and that I don't have to give too much direction to. You want to be able to let your actors do their thing and see what comes out of them. They're just real sweethearts, and I feel like they really represented the characters and the way I was trying to write them. “

What was your approach for directing Chulo? What conscious decisions were you making when bringing this film to life?

“I wanted it to be intimate and restrained, to show and not tell. Filmmaking is a visual medium, it's about what the characters don't say. It's the subtext of what they're feeling, the information they're withholding. That is what's really being said. Because everything is played through body language or glances across the room, and all of that is telling a story without saying anything. That's something I wanted to get across.”

How did you play with color and camera work when filming? 

“I definitely wanted to tell a story through color. Inside the kitchen, it's very cold and blue and confined. It's whenever they're outside alone, that's when there's color and there's space. As the relationship grows throughout the film, the more color there is. With the camera, I wanted it to be almost voyeuristic, like you're seeing from a distance, something you shouldn't be seeing. The camera as an observer.”

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How did this experience compare to your previous directing roles? I saw that you directed previous short films, music videos. You have a fashion film under your belt. What was different this time when it came to directing?

“I have done short films, but they haven't really felt as big or special as this one. Over the past five years, I've been doing more fashion and experimental stuff like music videos, but I wanted to go back to narrative and do something that was very intimate and emotional. We started the Kickstarter in January and we were able to fundraise the 15K and make the short. The community that we built around it…I didn't even imagine that people would be supporting it as much as they are. It really just goes to show that people believed in this idea and they wanted to see it. They see themselves represented, and that's exactly what I wanted to do.”

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What made you decide to go with the word "Chulo"? 

"Chulo” just felt right. It just felt endearing, and it felt like a catchy title, and something that I think represents this love story and Mexican culture. I just thought it was the right title.”

How does it feel for people to finally see Chulo after the work you’ve put into it? 

“It’s a very rewarding experience, I can’t believe how much this project has impacted people, and it’s not even out yet. That just speaks to the story that we’re telling across the latino and queer community. It feels not only personal to me, but to others  as well.”

What’s your advice for somebody who wants to find their chulo? 

“Be you, put yourself out there, and the right chulo will love you for who you are.”

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