The Duet, 5min., USA
Directed by Gica Pucca
A dancer and a violinist, isolated yet connected by sound, break and rise through the silence between them.

https://www.instagram.com/_the.duet_

Get to know the creative team:

Director Gica Pucca
Writer Kristina Perez
Producer Karyante Franklin

1. What motivated you to make this film?

GICA: I met Kristina at school and since the day she invited me to direct “The Duet”, I’ve discovered a passion for silent movies. This story is a delicate piece about artists and their power of picking themselves back up again, and again.

KARY: Kristina’s desire to tell a mental health story. She came to me with an idea that, initially, wasn’t this, but I was very interested in writing the script for her based on what she had in mind.

And the more we developed the story, the more the vision changed from the initial idea to something more artistic and beautiful.

KRISTINA: As an actress in LA there were many auditions, call backs and rejections that definitely made me question if I was good enough or if I was on the right track. As a young adult, I was learning how to balance surviving in LA, my personal life and my goals. I wanted to create a film that welcomed the audience into the mind of an artist. The mental battle one deals with while they’re at constant war between themselves and who they want to be.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

From the first pages of the script, until the last cut; it took around one year to produce “The Duet”.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Symphony within.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

KARY: Scheduling conflicts.

GICA: We had to postpone the shooting for later that year, giving more space for pre-production.

KRISTINA: Because it was my first personal short film it would have to be the process of learning how to be a producer effectively and while also working with Kary on the script it would have to be learning how to take the actor hat off and learn how to think as a writer for a film project.

5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development: Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution. What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?

KRISTINA: My favorite stage would have to be Production. There’s something magical about seeing your story come to life and witnessing the amazing hard work and creativity happening from the cast and crew.

KARY: Development. I love writing and creating, the story is everything to me.

GICA: Post-production, specialty because I love working with our editor Marco Labate; I feel like a happy kid seeing the shots coming together in the editing room.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

KARY: After I took an acting class. I really liked it and that made me want to learn more about screenwriting, and I’ve been in love with the craft ever since.

GICA: I’ve always dreamt of being some sort of a painter. And movie making feels like painting, but with image and sound.

KRISTINA: While I was studying at a two year acting program. I knew I wanted to create something of my own one day.

7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?

KRISTINA: “The Wizard of Oz”

GICA: probably “The Witch” or the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.

KARY: Either Dreamworks “The Prince of Egypt” or “Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland”

8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?

KRISTINA: I would love to collaborate with Guillermo del Toro. I really enjoyed his take on Frankenstein and Pinocchio. I think his way of painting the human experience in his films is beautifully and creatively done. I would also like to work with Jenny Han. I think she does a really good job in writing stories about young women who are just trying to find their way in the world and I admire how she always tries to make sure she represents Asian cultures in her films.

KARY: Viola Davis, Regina Hall, and Taraji P. Henson all together in a comedy/drama movie

GICA: I would love to be directing something with A24.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

The WILDsound Film Festival has a well organized collection of films on the platform and with the support of the organizers, submitting your movie turns out to be a unique experience, while inviting growth into our artistic career.

10. What is your favorite meal?

KRISTINA: It’s definitely hard to choose just one but my top two would have to be red enchiladas or a Filipino dish called “Sinigang” . I grew up with these dishes and they’re definitely my top two favorites from both of my cultures.

KARY: I love pasta dishes! Especially Lo Mein!

GICA: Ramen it’s my favorite!

11. What is next for you? A new film?

We’re looking forward to collaborating once more on a new title! “Invisible Strings” is in pre-production at the moment, and we are hoping to begin shooting end of June 2026.