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 Entertainment | July 2006 
Filmmaker to Bring 'Little Indio' to Big Screen
 Luis Ochoa - The Indio Sun
| | Ismael Villalpando (left) gives instructions to his actors during the shooting of some scenes of Villalpandos' film "Little Indio." (Luis Ochoa/Indio Sun) |
Ismael Villalpando has big ambitions. The 27-year-old Mexican immigrant moonlights as a screenwriter and movie maker when he's not operating a projector at the Regal Cinemas Indio Metro 8 theater.
Villalpando, who friends and family call "Mayo," has already made a seven-minute movie that won honorable mention at last year's International Hispanic Film Festival in Palm Desert. The movie, called "El Ride y La Bolsa" or "The Ride and the Purse," was broadcast last October on Univision's local affiliate station KVER.
The self-taught movie maker is nearing completion on a second movie called "Little Indio," and he's writing the screenplays for two more productions called "Avenue 44" and "The Mind-Reader."
He shot a scene at his house on Wednesday night.
"Little Indio" is a fictional story that follows the lives of everyday Indio residents. The camera trails each character one-by-one as their lives intersect. As soon as one of the characters encounters another, the movie's focus shifts to the next person as its main subject.
Villalpando likened it to the critically acclaimed 2004 Paul Haggis film, "Crash."
"The movie is not just (about) one character," Villalpando said. "It's a mix, and you see different points of view. I think it's a good way to tell several stories in just one chronological timeline."
Both of Villalpando's movies were shot in Indio and center around the seemingly mundane lives of ordinary citizens. He said those kinds of stories intrigue him because they explore the many levels of the human experience.
Villalpando said he thinks in an era of big-budget Hollywood blockbusters, audiences still thirst for movies with more depth and maturity. "I'm watching movies all day," he said. "I'm watching how the people react. I can tell that people want to see a movie with a lot of feeling. I want to do it for that exact (sector of the) public."
Villalpando, who's from Aguascalientes, Mexico, draws inspiration from other Mexican directors like Alejandro González Iñárritu, who made "Amores Perros," and Alfonso Cuarón, who made "Y Tu Mamá También"
Villalpando said he loves movies because they offer a brief reprieve from life's problems.
"When I was young, I wanted to tell stories to the people that take (away) the tension," he said. "When I see people watching 'Superman,' they don't think about the rent, they don't think about the prices of gas."
Villalpando said Ortega's Furniture at 45-290 Fargo St. and Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella are helping to pay for his movie.
"The casino gave me the money really fast," he said.
Jose Montejalo, an actor in "Little Indio," said the hardest thing was finding time to participate.
"We're not professionals," said Montejalo, a chef by day. "It's hard (for) him to get everybody together."
Villalpando's wife, Marie Carmen Montejalo, said her husband has a bright future ahead.
"Maybe somebody (will) discover him," she said. "I think he can be a very great filmmaker. I'm sure he can do it." |
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