The Ghosts We Love

Interview with Santiago Guzmán

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The Ghosts We Love

Interview with Santiago Guzmán

Santiago Guzmán

I think I am a hopeless romantic. Like, let’s just set it up straight. I fall in love like this.

I am originally from Metepec, Mexico, but I have been in Newfoundland and Labrador for six years. I originally moved to Corner Brook on the west side of the island to pursue an acting degree, and after graduating in 2019, I decided to stay and make this place home. As immigrants, when you’re moving sometimes you don’t have that opportunity to always say goodbye, or you’re just on the other side of the world.

“As immigrants when you’re moving, sometimes you don’t have that opportunity to always say goodbye.”

So, ALTAR was born from that perspective: What would happen if I ever get to reconnect all of these people that have left my life? And I think that at the end, I wanted to make this play about love and all of those facets of love, but also familial love. How do we love our families? And how family will always be there for you, in one way or another.

I was thinking about and reflecting on my life and being like: Okay, well, I have moved away from Mexico for four years at that point, and… Who am I? How different or how similar I am. Am I, myself, practicing my traditions? Am I forgetting how to speak Spanish? How are my relationships changing? And I think that the play as I had originally envisioned it, was going to be all about lovers. But then being really aware and having that beautiful, gentle reminder that it was way more than that, was an opportunity for me to think about: Who am I? And how do I love?

I thought that Día de Muertos was something that both thematically and metaphorically was bound and wrapped beautifully in a present for my audience because I was talking about ghosting—something that is very contemporary.

I was trying to find something that was very personal to me, that I really knew, and so that I could bring those two worlds together. But, also, I think that I was very aware that I was letting people into my culture without teaching them a class on Day of the Dead. It was more: I’m going to tell you a story. This is not Día de Muertos, but this is how I am doing it.

Interviewee

Santiago Guzmàn

Director of Photography

Rodrigo Iniguez

Video Editor

Abdurahman Hussain

Creative Direction

Peter Farbridge and Crystal Chan

Music

Seryn

Excerpts

From Altar, courtesy of RCA Theatre Company (Filmed October 2021 at St. John’s, NL)
From We Are Here, courtesy of Blue Pinion Films (Ruth Lawrence)

The Ghosts We Love

The Ghosts We Love

Interview with Santiago Guzmán

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I think I am a hopeless romantic. Like, let’s just set it up straight. I fall in love like this.

I am originally from Metepec, Mexico, but I have been in Newfoundland and Labrador for six years. I originally moved to Corner Brook on the west side of the island to pursue an acting degree, and after graduating in 2019, I decided to stay and make this place home. As immigrants, when you’re moving sometimes you don’t have that opportunity to always say goodbye, or you’re just on the other side of the world.

“As immigrants when you’re moving, sometimes you don’t have that opportunity to always say goodbye.”

So, ALTAR was born from that perspective: What would happen if I ever get to reconnect all of these people that have left my life? And I think that at the end, I wanted to make this play about love and all of those facets of love, but also familial love. How do we love our families? And how family will always be there for you, in one way or another.

I was thinking about and reflecting on my life and being like: Okay, well, I have moved away from Mexico for four years at that point, and… Who am I? How different or how similar I am. Am I, myself, practicing my traditions? Am I forgetting how to speak Spanish? How are my relationships changing? And I think that the play as I had originally envisioned it, was going to be all about lovers. But then being really aware and having that beautiful, gentle reminder that it was way more than that, was an opportunity for me to think about: Who am I? And how do I love?

I thought that Día de Muertos was something that both thematically and metaphorically was bound and wrapped beautifully in a present for my audience because I was talking about ghosting—something that is very contemporary.

I was trying to find something that was very personal to me, that I really knew, and so that I could bring those two worlds together. But, also, I think that I was very aware that I was letting people into my culture without teaching them a class on Day of the Dead. It was more: I’m going to tell you a story. This is not Día de Muertos, but this is how I am doing it.

Santiago Guzmán

I think I am a hopeless romantic. Like, let’s just set it up straight. I fall in love like this.

I am originally from Metepec, Mexico, but I have been in Newfoundland and Labrador for six years. I originally moved to Corner Brook on the west side of the island to pursue an acting degree, and after graduating in 2019, I decided to stay and make this place home. As immigrants, when you’re moving sometimes you don’t have that opportunity to always say goodbye, or you’re just on the other side of the world.

“As immigrants when you’re moving, sometimes you don’t have that opportunity to always say goodbye.”

So, ALTAR was born from that perspective: What would happen if I ever get to reconnect all of these people that have left my life? And I think that at the end, I wanted to make this play about love and all of those facets of love, but also familial love. How do we love our families? And how family will always be there for you, in one way or another.

I was thinking about and reflecting on my life and being like: Okay, well, I have moved away from Mexico for four years at that point, and… Who am I? How different or how similar I am. Am I, myself, practicing my traditions? Am I forgetting how to speak Spanish? How are my relationships changing? And I think that the play as I had originally envisioned it, was going to be all about lovers. But then being really aware and having that beautiful, gentle reminder that it was way more than that, was an opportunity for me to think about: Who am I? And how do I love?

I thought that Día de Muertos was something that both thematically and metaphorically was bound and wrapped beautifully in a present for my audience because I was talking about ghosting—something that is very contemporary.

I was trying to find something that was very personal to me, that I really knew, and so that I could bring those two worlds together. But, also, I think that I was very aware that I was letting people into my culture without teaching them a class on Day of the Dead. It was more: I’m going to tell you a story. This is not Día de Muertos, but this is how I am doing it.

Santiago Guzmán

Interviewee

Santiago Guzmàn

Director of Photography

Rodrigo Iniguez

Video Editor

Abdurahman Hussain

Creative Direction

Peter Farbridge and Crystal Chan

Music

Seryn

Excerpts

From Altar, courtesy of RCA Theatre Company (Filmed October 2021 at St. John’s, NL)
From We Are Here, courtesy of Blue Pinion Films (Ruth Lawrence)

Ancestors
Memory
Courage
Transmission
All
Ancestors
Disruption
Vulnerability
Curiosity
Expansion
Disruption
Care
Vulnerability
Edge
Curiosity
Care
Courage
Curiosity
Opening
Expansion
Memory
Courage
Curiosity
Kinetic
Expansion
Elusiveness
Ancestors
Invitation
Transmission
All
Disruption
Courage
Opening
Meditation
All
Absence
Elusiveness
Ancestors
Memory
Vulnerability
Care
Vulnerability
Invitation
Corporeal
Meditation
Disruption
Vulnerability
Impulse
Kinetic
Corporeal
Opening
Corporeal
Organic
Transmission
Expansion
Absence
Ancestors
Courage
Organic
All
Elusiveness
Vulnerability
Immersion
Corporeal
All
Disruption
Elusiveness
Ancestors
Edge
Transmission
Disruption
Elusiveness
Care
Corporeal
All
Elusiveness
Impulse
Invitation
Immersion
Meditation
Elusiveness
Curiosity
Corporeal
Transmission
All
Disruption
Memory
Impulse
Curiosity
Expansion
Elusiveness
Opening
Organic
Meditation
All
Elusiveness
Ancestors
Memory
Invitation
Transmission
Elusiveness
Immersion
Expansion
All
Absence
Ancestors
Courage
Immersion
All
Disruption
Invitation
Immersion
Organic
Transmission
Care
Vulnerability
Curiosity
Transmission
All
Memory
Impulse
Immersion
Transmission
All
Care
Edge
Corporeal
Expansion
All
Elusiveness
Memory
Care
Courage
Vulnerability
Ancestors
Vulnerability
Corporeal
Transmission
Expansion
Ancestors
Courage
Immersion
Corporeal
Organic
Absence
Disruption
Impulse
Edge
Kinetic
Memory
Elusiveness
Vulnerability
Meditation
Kinetic
Ancestors
Courage
Disruption
Opening
All
Memory
Care
Corporeal
Meditation
Expansion
Absence
Ancestors
Memory
Edge
Expansion
Ancestors
Opening
Invitation
Curiosity
Expansion
Disruption
Ancestors
Invitation
Curiosity
All
Ancestors
Curiosity
Kinetic
Transmission
Expansion
Absence
Elusiveness
Vulnerability
Edge
Meditation
Ancestors
Care
Curiosity
Meditation
All
Absence
Disruption
Opening
Transmission
All
Disruption
Care
Kinetic
Transmission
All
Memory
Curiosity
Kinetic
Corporeal
Meditation
Care
Vulnerability
Edge
Opening
Corporeal
Absence
Memory
Invitation
Transmission
All
Disruption
Elusiveness
Courage
Edge
Expansion
Ancestors
Memory
Care
Courage
Transmission
Absence
Memory
Edge
Curiosity
Immersion
Elusiveness
Impulse
Curiosity
Kinetic
Transmission
Impulse
Opening
Organic
All
Disruption
Care
Opening
Transmission
All
Disruption
Ancestors
Care
Impulse
All
Absence
Memory
Opening
Immersion
Meditation
Disruption
Courage
Impulse
Edge
Organic
Ancestors
Memory
Invitation
Meditation
Expansion
Invitation
Curiosity
Immersion
Corporeal
Organic
Ancestors
Vulnerability
Invitation
Organic
Meditation
Ancestors
Care
Invitation
Organic
Meditation
Corporeal
Kinetic
Meditation
Transmission
All