"Symptoma 20” is a film by Moon Collective that explores 9 lives as they adapt to the strange new world caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Individual and collective struggles that mirror daily challenges of today take an experimental turn in this multiversed world where reality has two definitions.
I had the pleasure to score for the indie film, and was excited to work in a variety of music genres. Below are a selection of the music.
The full film is available at Amazon Prime.
Music
Hold Your Breath
Looping the ominous, repressed bass, the piece imitates how suffocated and isolated people feel when stuck in a monotonous life. The usage of bell underlines the mortality theme as church bells are often associated with birth and death.
Isolation Dance
Fueled by the extreme isolation we universally experience during the pandemic, the piece highlights human’s growing urge to connect with one another.
Multiple music lines intertwine with each other as the two dancers express the push-and-pull dynamic of human relationship.
Purple Heels
In the scene, the male character is enchanted when a man dressed in female clothes and a pair of high heels walks by. However, he is soon engulfed by a wave of discomfort towards himself.
I am interested in exploring the experience of body dysphoria through a melty, sonic quality and in contrast a dark, jarring soundscape when the dysphoria kicks in.
Sea Butterfly
The ties between people are sometimes as beautiful yet fragile as butterflies.
This is near the end of the film where the characters are faced to adapt to the reality of covid life again. Some are eager to connect with others while some shut down and isolate themselves.
Can't Hold It Anymore
A response to "Hold Your Breath." Based on the same loop, this time we build a more dramatic arch of momentum to show how the increasingly unstable, outrageous minds perceive the world, such as the delusion of people whispering and random image flashing.
Happy and Sad
This is the end of the film. We see some people find the courage to reach out to others and feel comforted by human connection. Some maybe not so much.
There is a clean simplicity in the ending that’s very different than the grody, aggressive nature of the previous performances, so I decided to go with piano with a simple, nostalgic melody.
Production Team
Prologue & Epilogue Directed by Jesús López Vargas
"Symptoma World" Directed by Jesús López Vargas & Brandon Alba
Art Direction & Design by Athziri Morales & Jesús López Vargas
Story Written by Jesús López Vargas
Choreographed by Brandon Ray Alba
Musical Score: Pan-Pan Gou
Cinematography: Jesús López Vargas
Lead Video Editor: Merle DeWitt III
Assistant Director: Cassandra Soto
Lighting Design: Athziri Morales & Merle DeWitt III
Sound Designer: Jaime Lupercio
Remote Management: Mason Bergenholtz
Production Assistant: Rodolfo Mariscal
Cast: Kaelin Li, Marayah Angeliz, Valeria Alvarez, Asron Louis Herrera, Jared Berry, Athziri Morales, Joseph Fernandez, Mando Acosta, Robert OlmosExecutive Producers: Jesús López Vargas & Merle DeWitt III
Produced by Sergio E. López Briones, Maria del Carmen Vargas Rodriguez,
Athziri Morales, Brandon Ray Alba, British Ballet, Literarity Bookshop &
MOON | COLLECTIVE