Interview with Tribeca Festival’s DANTE Director Hugo Ruíz

FilmBook: How did you decide on Chino Darin for the role of the paramedic in Dante?

Hugo Ruíz: I chose Chino Darín because he is an actor I had been eager to work with for a long time. In my opinion, he is one of the finest actors of his generation.

But if I had to be more specific, I would say that to play Eduardo, the actor needed to possess one of the qualities I find most difficult in acting: knowing how to handle silence. What do you communicate when the camera is on you and you have no dialogue? For me, Chino is absolutely exceptional in that regard.

FilmBook: Dante takes place in a very short time span, similar to your previous film One Night with Adela. What is your fascination with most things happening on only one night in your films? Were you inspired by any other films that took place on only one night?

Hugo Ruíz: I have always believed that the night allows stories to be told that simply could not be told during the day. Nighttime provides a sense of privacy, a layer of intimacy that daylight cannot offer.

And naturally, characters like mine—rogues, outcasts, people living on the edge—operate much better in that environment because it is a world they know and control.

In this particular case, my main reference in terms of the time frame was Martin Scorsese’s After Hours.

FilmBook: This movie has many twists and turns. Can you tell me about that? Was the goal of the movie to save the last trick (twist) for the very last scene?

Hugo Ruíz: I like challenging myself by trying to surprise the audience, which is becoming increasingly difficult because viewers today are very experienced and savvy.

What I try to do is give audiences the same feeling I enjoy as a viewer: being surprised. That’s why I like to play with twists and unexpected turns in my films, but only when they serve the story.

I would never prioritize a clever twist over the narrative itself if it damaged the quality of the film or the integrity of the story. For me, the story must always come first.

FilmBook: How did you come to cast Ester Expósito in the role of the lead female character in the film?

Hugo Ruíz: I was less familiar with Ester’s work because most of what I had seen from her had been in television series.

I decided to watch her two most recent projects and, as soon as I saw her, I was captivated. I immediately knew that Ester was Mak.

And I think the film proves that she was exactly the right person to bring that character to life.

FilmBook: Who are your cinematic influences? Who inspires you in the world of cinema?

Hugo Ruíz: My greatest influence as a filmmaker is Quentin Tarantino. In fact, there are a few small homages to him in Dante, and his influence can be felt throughout the film.

Other major influences for me include Woody Allen, Guy Ritchie and Martin Scorsese.

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