Red Cockroaches


Red Cockroaches is a 2003 Cuban–American science–fiction drama film. The film was the directorial debut of Miguel Coyula and was the result of a two-year effort on a $2,000 budget. Shot entirely using a portable digital camcorder and edited on a home computer, Red Cockroaches is an example of DIY cinema. In its review, Variety called it a "A triumph of technology in the hands of a visionary with know-how..." It is the first of a trilogy which continues with Blue Heart (film).

Plot

A young man meets a mysterious girl in the subway and gets romantically involved with her, only to later discover that she might be his long lost sister. Dark and atmospheric, the world the characters inhabit is an alternative New York City with bouts of Acid Rain and ruled by an omnipotent cloning company called DNA21.

Productions

It took Cuban filmmaker Miguel Coyula two years, a consumer-grade camera, a computer, and less than $2,000 to make "Red Cockroaches," a science fiction drama featuring a cast of debut actors, including Adam Plotch and Talia Rubel.

Visuals

Based on carefully planned storyboards, every time there is a cut in the film it is to a new camera setup that hasn't been used before, as opposed to traditional film language where the editor cuts back to the same shot during a scene. In the case of Red Cockroaches the influence of manga storytelling is obvious.
Rather than attempting to make DV look like film, the colors were digitally manipulated to the extreme with the purpose of enhancing the atmosphere. This along with multiple layer composites generated the movie’s distinctive, often saturated look.

Reception

Film critic Ronnie Scheib of Variety reviewed it as "a triumph of technology in the hands of a visionary with know-how..."
Some reviewers have noted that the film's scene transitions and edits mimic the effect of a pop-up book. Another compared the depiction of New York to the work of Philip K. Dick and Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell.

Awards

  • GreenCine Online Film Festival, US, June 2005: Narrative Grand Prize
  • San Francisco Fearless Tales, US, April 2005: Best Editing
  • Festival Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre, Argentina, Nov 2004: Special Mention for Visual Concept
  • SciencePlusFiction, Italy, Nov 2004: Special Mention
  • Festival Cineplaza, Cuba, Oct 2004: Gran Premio Plaza
  • Festival Cineplaza, Cuba, Oct 2004: Best Director
  • Festival Cineplaza, Cuba, Oct 2004: Best Editing
  • Festival Cineplaza, Cuba, Oct 2004: Best Sound
  • Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best of Fest
  • Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best Director
  • Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best Science Fiction Feature
  • Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best Actor
  • Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best Editing
  • Microcinema Fest, US, July 2004: Best FX
  • Encuentro Nacional de Video, Cuba, June 2004: Best Editing
  • Encuentro Nacional de Video, Cuba, June 2004: Special Mention
  • Encuentro Nacional de Video, Cuba, June 2004: Best Cinematography
  • Digital Independent Film Festival, US, May 2004: Grand Jury Prize
  • Muestra de Nuevos Realizadores, Cuba, Feb 2004: Special Award of the Jury
  • Festival Almacen de la Imagen, Cuba, Oct 2003: Best Feature
  • Festival Almacen de la Imagen, Cuba, Oct 2003: Best Editing
  • Festival Almacen de la Imagen, Cuba, Oct 2003: Cinema Award