THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY BEHIND THE FILM "MOEBIUS"

August Ferdinand Möbius	Gustavo Daniel Mosquera R.

MOEBIUS is the first feature film to be collectively financed and produced by the two filmmakers and cinema professors who led the project, a crew formed by their 45 students, and the "Universidad del Cine" of Buenos Aires, as a producing entity. The idea of MOEBIUS came out of the young professor and filmmaker Gustavo Mosquera R, who engaged his students in their final years of their film studies to participate as the entire crew of the film.

The idea of the "disappearance" of a subway train came out of the original short-story written by scientist A.J.Deutsch, "A Subway Called Moebius", published in 1950. But Mosquera R took the story and figured out a very different concept for the meaning of "the disappearance". He conceived the idea of a missing train as a passage to imply other political meanings about the missing people during the dictatorship times in Argentina.

After having worked for one year, passionately re-writing the screenplay eight times, with not even a promise of a contract to make it into a film, Prof. Mosquera R and his 6 co-scriptwriters submitted the final screenplay to the University's authorities. They approved a very low budget to shoot the entire film, and within these limitations was Mosquera's colleague, Prof. Maria Angeles Mira, co-writer and in charge of the entire production, the principal key to make it happen.

Soon, Mosquera R as the Director of the film and his "army" of 45 students, began to find a cast, suitable locations, as well as acquiring the necessary permits to renovate an old abandoned Buenos Aires subway station to be used as a main stage. The actual shooting lasted 12 weeks within the total budget of 250.000 US dollars.
Also two old 35mm cameras, provided and specially adapted by Mosquera R., were used to shoot the entire film. He modified one of his antiques, a little handcrank Kinamo from 1926, to be able to shoot with "time lapse technique" on the subway wagons, creating all of the special effects "in camera".

The entire film was edited in the "Moviola" old fashion style, completely dubbed and re-synchronized at the "Universidad del Cine", and all kind of experimental sound effects were created using the facilities of other educational institutions by request of the director. Finally, the original score was created by young musician, Mariano Nuñez West, who recorded and mixed the music with the help of Dolby facilities in Chile, where the final soundtrack was finished.

In July 1996, MOEBIUS was completed and presented by Gustavo Mosquera R, at the "Universidad del Cine". The film was a complete surprise for audiences and authorities, and was quickly submitted to the "44th International Film Festival of SAN SEBASTIAN". It was immediately accepted and screened with notable success.

Subsequently, the film was awarded at the "International Film Festival of PUERTO RICO" (Special Jury Award and Fipresci); "HUELVA International Film Festival" (Best Screenplay and Special Jury Mention Award); "La HAVANNA International Film Festival" (Best Photography and Best Sound); "VIENNALE" (Fipresci Award); "First BANGKOK International Film Festival" (Best Foreign Feature Film).

Also was selected to the "SUNDANCE Film Festival", the "BERLIN Film Festival", and the "SMITHSONIAN HIRSCH HORN MUSEUM", in Washington DC.

After all this recognition many benefits started to happen. All of the students involved in "Moebius" were catapulted to their professional careers into the Argentine cinema industry. And some used the experience to begin to find their own way to become filmmakers.

The "University of Cinema" setup the basis to be recognized and trusted as a producer entity, and immediately attracted the attention of a lot of new students, who began their studies at this institution, with the intention to develop their own stories to make feature films.

For Gustavo Mosquera R the highest achievement was to be awarded to participate at the "NEW DIRECTORS, NEW FILMS", by the "METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF MODERN ART of NEW YORK", as one of the "Best new directors of 1997" after having been chosen from many films all over the world. The writer-director then started his research to direct a new film in the USA, and he is now currently working with a major studio in Hollywood on his next project.

Gustavo Mosquera R. directing "MOEBIUS"