Letting It Rip with Guimo Sartori
Born and raised in Brazil, Guimo's journey into the world of filmmaking was born from a hunger for adventure and a disdain for the ordinary. It was in 2008 when he realized that observing stories unfold wasn't enough—he needed to be the one shaping them.
From gritty short films to whimsical music videos, Guimo dove headfirst into the craft, embracing every opportunity to break moulds and defy expectations. His relentless pursuit of the unexplored paid off when his work was recognized with the prestigious Golden Lion at Mix Brasil, marking a memorable moment in his career.
In 2018, Guimo was named one of Brazil's Young Lions, a title that served as his passport to even bolder storytelling endeavours on the international stage. With each project, he seeks to unearth the hidden secrets within stories, weaving them into unforgettable cinematic experiences that challenge and inspire.
Guimo's approach to directing is a rebellion against the mundane, a pursuit of authenticity and raw emotion captured frame by frame. Fuelled by a passion for uncovering the extraordinary in the everyday, he continues to push boundaries and redefine what's possible in the world of filmmaking.
In the latest instalment of this interview series, the team at Let It Rip Pictures chat to director Guimo Sartori to discuss food, travel and New York.
PORTOFOLIO: Guimo Sartori
LOCATION: Brasil / Mexico
REP: Let it Rip Pictures / USA
CLIENTS: Danone, Coca-Cola, KFC, HBO, Heinz, Old Spice, McDonald’s, Ford
SKILLS: Comedy, Storytelling, VFX, Transitions
LBB> What’s the place you feel like you belong in?
Guimo> Wherever there is a multitude of cultures clashing and creating something new. New York, São Paulo, Tokyo, Mexico City or London. The energy of there always being something to discover is what makes things great.
LBB> What’s your favourite food-related memory?
Guimo> Probably having some fruits in my grandfather's backyard.
LBB> Share with us your guilty pleasure. And a sport you’d like to be good at.
Guimo> Nerdy stuff. Video games and manga have a very unique way of storytelling and I believe we will get more and more of those narratives mash ups with what we are used to know as stories.
As a Brazilian kid, I wanted to be a football (soccer) player. As a nerd, probably an e-sport or chess.
LBB> If you’d need to pick where you draw your inspiration from - based on the last three question - would it be places, foods or guilty pleasures?
Guimo> Places and guilty pleasures. As I said, the cultural clash and different ways of framing and telling stories create what is in fact, new.
LBB> What US state would you choose for an open-budget weekend?
Guimo> I would spend a lovely weekend in New York. Best hotel, restaurants, drinks, galleries, shows. Yeah, definitely a great weekend.
LBB> What’s a movie scene you’d like to recreate in a branded content?
Guimo> Hard to select just one scene. Probably a fighting scene from 'Kill Bill' or a very avant-garde scene from an early 60s Godard feature,
LBB> Can you name a project that changed the course of your career in an unexpected way?
Guimo> Mix Brazil Festival. First project of my career and got me a Golden Lion at Cannes Festival.
LBB> How do you collaborate with actors to get their best emotions out?
Guimo> I truly believe that this collaboration is to translate emotions into actions. To discuss how a single contraction of the shoulders or how slow the character blinks their eyes can communicate feelings.
LBB> What’s your favourite in camera trick?
Guimo> All of them, but only and just when they are communicating or narrating something. Camera tricks should be about telling the story or the feelings of a scene, not the fetish of the director.
LBB> Transitions - love them or hate them?
Guimo> Same answer as before. I love them, they help us develop a more dynamic and smooth spot, but only when they are communicating something. For me, it is all about the best way to tell a story.
LBB> What’s your take on AI?
Guimo> It is a reality which is impossible to deny or refuse.
As creative minds, we are supposed to learn, understand and discover how to create something new from it.
LBB> Dream client?
Guimo> Probably Nike or Riot Games.
LBB> What is your advice to producers in order to keep our film sets more eco-friendly?
Guimo> Make it a priority and a deal breaker just as the treatment is. No eco-friendly measures in the contract, no deal.
