Compassion Is The Solution: Tiffany K. Guillen On Her Short Film "Welcome Back"
Director/Writer/Producer Tiffany Kontoyiannis-Guillen is a published playwright, Student Emmy Nominated Director, HBO Semi-Finalist, and Miami Herald Silver Knight Winner. She began creating films that brought inspiring, engaging and important topics to light. Alongside Roy Arwas, her most recent projects have been devoted to telling Latinx, female, and unique stories in hopes of further diversifying the industry. Her latest project, Welcome Back, sheds light on the current democratic crisis in Venezuela.
After being deported to Venezuela, one of the most dangerous countries in the world, Rosa and her daughter must find a way to escape to Colombia.
This topical short has screened at over 10 film festivals and has already received a lot of awards and recognition. We has the pleasure of chatting with Tiffany about her film, immigration, transitioning from plays to film, and much much more!
How did the concept for Welcome Back come about?
For years I wanted to tell the story of Venezuela. Having my family there has been extremely hard, and I felt helpless. I ultimately decided I needed to do something through medium I knew best—film. The idea was ultimately inspired by my relationship with my parents, and the countless sacrifices they have made for me. The story itself, especially in regards to the parts about deportation, was my way of making this story global. We all have a responsibility when it comes to countries like Venezuela, and having compassion for others who are forced to flee their home is a huge first step. That intention was the driving force behind Welcome Back.
The film shows the heartbreaking reality of deportation and that the stakes are life or death. In your opinion, how can the issue of immigration be improved to prevent this from happening?
Such a great question! I understand that immigration is a complex issue, and would require more than one solution in order to improve it. However, I do believe that steps such as simplifying the immigration process, can help tremendously. Quite honestly, immigration — at least in the United States — is currently set up in a way where a small minority of people ever stand a chance. Our compassion for immigrants as a society seems to be non-existent, unaware that this very country’s foundation was based on immigration. Overall, I believe that compassion is a huge part of the solution, one in which still protects the interest of our country while also lending a hand to people who genuinely want to create opportunity for themselves and others.
How has your success as a playwright influenced how you approach the writing process for TV and film?
I feel that the most important thing that I learned from writing for the stage was how you can tell a full story with just the bare bones. The play I wrote required such a simple set, and heavily focused on the stories of the characters. Some of the greatest plays don’t have the most elaborate sets, and it doesn’t seem to affect the emotional experience one bit. Ultimately, I feel that in film we get caught up with the production value of a project that we forget the most important part—the story. In that regard, playwriting has truly helped me stay focused on the overall message and the feeling I want to portray.
Was the short filmed in Venezuela? Did you run into any production challenges as a result of the film’s subject matter?
Because it would’ve been too dangerous to film in Venezuela, we shot the film in Ecuador. My mother’s best friend lives in Quito, and years ago when I went to visit, I remember feeling that I was transported to Venezuela. I made a promise to myself then that if I shot a story about Venezuela, I would film it there.
We definitely ran into production challenges. I think the fact that the story called for us to for us to shoot in two different countries was definitely difficult, and brought a whole new set of challenges. Shooting in a foreign country brings a whole set of other challenges you aren’t used to as a filmmaker. I was completely out of my comfort zone. I remember thinking it would be a lot easier for me since I am half-Venezuelan, and this is my culture. Although I speak the language, and understand the culture, I still had a lot to learn when it came to adapting to the way they work, and the way they do things over there.
In addition to Karly Perez-Arevalo and yourself, Roy Arwas is attached as a producer. We had the pleasure of interviewing him for his short Clarity. How did the two of you get connected and form a partnership?
Yes! We actually shot Welcome Back a month after shooting Clarity, which was so intense. We used a lot of the crew for both projects!
Roy and I met during our first semester of our MFA program at USC! We loved working together, and after spending so much time together, fell in love. We are engaged now, and continue to work together on every project. He was a huge reason I decided to move forward with making such a challenging film. The production required a lot, and if it wasn’t for him or Karly, I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to do it.
How did you find your wonderful cast?
This was perhaps the hardest part of the entire process since I had a lot of roles to cast for for this movie.
Luckily, I had the most incredible casting director, Alejandra Corman, who truly gave her all to this film. She was based in Quito, found every single cast member and extra. As an actress herself, she knew exactly the caliber I was hoping for. She also discovered Marina Lalama Noboa, who played Sophie and had never acted before.
What drew you to the visual arts? How did you get into directing?
From a young age, I was always drawn to the visual arts. Like most, I started by joining every drama production I could at school. After participating in this one high school drama program, Theatre for Social Change, I was hooked onto the idea of using arts for a cause.
Around this time, I was still heavily struggling with bullying at my school. This happened at a time when bullying was brushed under the rug, so the school’s solution was to punish everyone. Although I felt heartbroken, afraid, and incredibly discouraged, I decided to keep going. Shortly after, I saw a new report about a girl who had been bullied and later committed suicide due to it. Seeing this, I decided to write a few monologues about my experiences with bullying. I brought it to the counselor at my school and persuaded her to let me present it. As time went on, I had written enough material to turn it into a play and was able to tour my community with it. I starred in it, directed it, and was able to see this small idea evolve into this full production.
The play went on to win several awards and went on to be published by Dramatic Publishing. The moment I sold it, I realized that I could pursue my passion as more than just a hobby, and it could become my career. I channeled this passion into writing and directing film, and never looked back.
What films or filmmakers have inspired you, your style, or your approach to telling a story?
Ryan Coogler is one of my favorite directors. He also graduated from USC, in the same program as me, and I have seen every one of his films (including most of his student shorts). He’s not only an artistic genius, but he always finds a way to convey a message without making you feel like you’re being force fed a “message.”
Fruitvale Station, is still to this day, my favorite film. His films pose questions, not answers. He has been able to bring so much positive change to the industry and I truly look up to him.
What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
Compassion. That is all I hope for. We are currently living in times filled with so much hate, and I feel that if everyone had a bit more compassion, most of our problems would be on a path to resolution. With issues such as immigration, people are so quick to judge, not taking the time to put themselves in others’ shoes. Venezuela is one of many countries with people who are experiencing profound suffering. We should be creating bridges to help them, not walls.
Do you have any future projects that you can share with us?
Yes! Roy and I are currently running our media based production and creative services company, Creative X Entertainment! Aside from that, I am developing a television show, partially inspired by my late grandmother, alongside a couple feature scripts!
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!