Reality can be a very subjective thing. Tomes upon tomes of philosophical works have addressed the idea of how each of us experiences reality, how it differs from person to person based on nature and nurture forces, and whether we have any say in our destinies at all.
Filmmaker Daniele Auber wants to tackle this idea in his psychedelic fantasy film Hallucinaut, which is currently in the homestretch of a Kickstarter campaign to acquire funding to make the work a fully-realized piece. Hallucinaut follows the tale of Julio, who has been given the opportunity to change his fate by traversing the canyons and terrain of his palm’s Lifeline. Along the way, Julio encounters microdelics, creatures that may stymie Julio’s goal.
Mr. Auber worked in special effects for years with filmmaker Terry Gilliam (Brazil, The Brothers Grimm, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus), who is executive producing Hallucinaut. I had the chance to interview Mr. Auber about the genesis of Hallucinaut, his feelings on free will, and what it’s like to be in the director’s chair at last.
FreakSugar: What kind of background can you give about the idea behind Hallucinaut? How long had you been working with the idea of creating the film?
Daniele Auber: When I was a teenager and through my twenties, I collected a substantial amount of crazy ideas. I still cherish and consult tens of notebooks from those years. Hallucinaut is one of those stories, one that I never stopped thinking about. I’ve been writing and drawing this project for many years, but only about a year ago it became more concrete and focused. That was after I finished my first short Dr. Awkward with producer Alexis Varouksakis, who is also producing Hallucinaut.
FS: After collaborating with Terry Gilliam for years, how did you approach the idea of Hallucinaut to get him on-board?
DA: Since I worked on his film The Brothers Grimm in 2002, I always kept Terry updated on what I was doing. Every time I have a new drawing or I get involved in a fun project, I send it to him. The Brothers Grimm kind of changed my creative and professional life. It was one year of bliss and when it was over I just didn’t want it to end. In fact, most of those friends are still in my life. And a few of them are a big part of Hallucinaut, like cinematographer Nicola Pecorini.
So when I felt ready, I built a “magic box” and filled it with storyboards, concept designs, props, script, etc., and sent it to Terry. In the box there was a letter in which I asked him if he would like to be the executive producer of Hallucinaut. He said yes, and his words lifted the project to new stage.
FS: I love the idea of changing one’s destiny by altering one’s palm lifeline. It’s a very unique and inspired approach to the free will vs. destiny debate. Have you always been interested in ideas of free will and fate?
DA: Yes, because I grew up in Italy, where most of the population is religious on some level. But as a teenager I started to read books and have life experiences that took me away from the oppressive concept of God I was educated with. And I remember living that moment with a great sense of liberation. I like the Buddhist notion of “cause and effect,” where every action has a specific consequence. It makes me feel responsible for what I do, rather than delegating the issue to a higher being. So if there is a “destiny” I think we create it and manipulate it day by day. Even when it’s inherited genetically. I find it encouraging.
FS: In the Kickstarter video on the website, you said you’ll be using a mixture of digital effects and practical effects. How has your work on other films such as Lucy and the Harry Potter and Scream films and working with other directors influenced how you approach how you direct?
DA: When I started I was very young and we were building creatures and animatronics because that was the technology at the time, before computers. Then I became a creature designer and started to be involved with visual effects, but my background in the “material world” will always come back to tease me. It’s so much fun to shoot real creatures, rather than make a movie in front of a blue screen. But I value what CG can do to enhance practical effects. So combining the two can be fun for the cast and crew, but also great for the final result.
FS: The designs for the creatures, the microdelics, are phenomenal. What inspired their looks? Do their looks also mirror Julio’s journey to change his fate?
DA: They are inspired by microscope photographs, aquatic creatures, and psychedelic visions. And they represent different events in Julio’s life. During his journey through the Lifeline, his existence unfolds in front of his eyes. The landscapes and the creatures are precise metaphors of people, incidents and emotions of his life.
FS: Beyond the films you’ve worked on in the past, what books, movies, or television inspired you when creating the concept for the film?
DA: One movie is definitely Fantastic Voyage (1966). I saw it as a child and it made me dream for months. It’s the story of a group of scientists who shrink to microscopic levels and travel through a human body to cure a disease. But the Hallucinaut‘s journey is more of a “transcendental trip”, rather than a “shrinking movie” In fact, another reference in my subconscious is probably The Point (1971) an animated movie by Fred Wolf, and Terry Gilliam’s movies, for taking place in reality and also in a “fantastic” parallel dimension. In terms of books, I have one reference for all and it’s Jose Luis Borges. Sometime I wonder if his stories are the real reality, and this one is just a pale imitation of it.
FS: How’s the experience like helming the film and being in the director’s chair?
DA: It’s so much fun. And most of it comes from collaborating with good friends who love to make movies. We are all working for each other, bringing our personal skills. The more generous we are, the more we receive in return, and our work flourishes. Hopefully after the flowers there will be fruits.
FS: If you could leave readers with one thought about the film, what would it be?
DA: Follow your nature; we shape our own destiny.
Hallucinaut’s Kickstarter campaign is less than $6,000 away from meeting its funding goal. With 11 days to go, you can still donate to make this film a reality. Seriously, if you loved Mr. Auber’s work in any of Terry Gilliam’s films and if you would like to see different movie fare than what we usually get to experience, donate!