“Just being selected for Cannes meant a lot. So, winning was a huge boost, both for the film and for us, professionally. It had direct and important consequences for our work, but you have to keep working. Otherwise, you may be left with nothing more than an anecdote.”

Did you expect to win the award?

“Winning an award at Cannes was like a dream. No matter how much confidence you have in your work, winning at the most important festival in the world is heavenly. It was a very welcome surprise.”

What did you learn from that experience?

“That you always have to keep your feet on the ground. Film festivals just last a few days. It’s all great at the time, but you can’t get too caught up in it or you’ll lose sight of what’s important. You have to realize that it will end.”

How did you end up in film?

“By chance. Our family didn’t have any ties to film. When we were kids, we’d go to the video store, and everyone in the family would rent something from a certain genre. I was into U.S. comedies, while Diego loved gory horror movies. But my real interest in film came when I was starting out at college, studying communications. Diego, meanwhile, was studying economics. After finishing his studies in Madrid, Diego returned to Lima and began to work with a Danish trader, eventually going to Copenhagen to work. While he was there, he realized that it wasn’t what he wanted to do. He quit and went to Madrid to take the entrance exam for the San Antonio de los Baños Film School in Cuba. Once he was there, he did nothing but eat, sleep and breathe film.”

How do two brothers direct a film together?

“Very patiently. We work on the production together throughout the entire process. The screenplay starts with Diego, who’s a screenwriter, and then I write. But we always communicate back and forth. During the shoot, we divvy up the responsibilities. We try to keep our notes and ideas together, so we don’t give conflicting directions (which has happened). Up to this point, it hasn’t been that complicated.”

Who or what are your main influences?

“I like to watch all kinds of movies. A lot of the time, the films themselves inspire me more than certain directors. And there are many that I like and that always inform my visual imagination. But while you’re shooting, you don’t have a certain film or style in your head. I think that you unconsciously start to find your style based on what you like.”

What do you see for the Latin American film industry?

“In countries like Peru, the term ‘industry’ may be a little hasty. Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and even Colombia – they’re all way ahead of us. But Latin America is the talk of the film world, and that’s important.”

Could you give us peek at your next film project?

“Our next film is still in the process of being written. It’s the story of an honest civil servant. We’re going to approach it with humor.” in