Meet Christian Aceves | Writer/Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christian Aceves and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christian, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Okay. Stay with me here.
My earliest memory of my love for cinema was at the age of 6. My mother—working as an interior designer and in the aftermath of an ugly divorce—would often drag my older sister and I around on personal business errands. Due to a lack of success at the locals, these small quests would often transform into long, odyssean day trips to furniture and fabric stores in cities far, far, away. To a 6-year old, this arduous routine was worse than death.
Okay. Homework is worse than this. I could be doing math right now. Really, it could be worse.
I look to my left. I look to my right.
An endless sprawl of lifeless couches and chairs stares back at me. James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” plays on the radio intercom for the 100th time. We’ve now hit hour 8.
I doubt it.

It wasn’t so black-and-white, of course. Some stores had TVs in the back with Disney VHSs on deck, some had books to fall into; one even had a Nintendo64, Super Smash Bros, and 2 controllers. The crew over at Joann knew how to do it right.
The best one, though, was still to be discovered.
One day, my mom drove us out to Sacramento, CA in search of fabrics. Somewhere—I can’t even begin to recall where exactly—lied a small, shabby fabric store that looked like it had been aged through a rotting wine barrel. We walked in. My mother immediately headed to the front counter. My sister, to the register where she took an interest in some appealing Chinese New Year pins that sat beside. I, on the other hand, swiftly slipped away to the back in search of any Disney film, book, or, better, N64 to keep me occupied. To my disappointment however, there was nothing.
I scanned the area some more in an act of refusal. Hm. Down an aisle, there looks to be a short hallway into another room. A blue glow emits from the back.
A TV?
I naturally investigate.

I reach the doorway. On the small CRT TV behind the counter: Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master II (or as the States confusingly titled it, The Legend of Drunken Master) plays. Beside it: a skinny, elderly employee, scrunched up on a small stool with a steaming bowl of instant noodles, watching in silence. His eyes move to his noodles, then to me, then promptly back to the TV. I figured his passive glaze-over was invitation enough for me to come in and stand at the counter. My eyes move to the TV. Immediately, I’m entranced.
Before that day, I had never seen a Jackie Chan film—really, I’d never even heard of the guy—but goddamnit, the man knew how to entertain. The stunts, the humor, the charm… it was all there, from the second I laid eyes on him.
30 minutes passed. Then 30 more. The old man and I watched Drunken Master II to its end. We never exchanged words or even another glance; yet in that silence, I felt something I had never felt before: connection through art.

For the first time, I wasn’t excited to leave the fabric store.

I look back at that day fondly. I hope that one day, something I create can do that for someone else. That is my pursuit. That is why I pursue.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I try not to think too much about the stuff I make. Probably because when it comes out of me in the writing, it feels mystifying to try and take back in to assess. It came out for a reason… keep away! Keep away!
My friends and I recently finished a short film I wrote and directed titled: Last Stop Paris. We’re currently in the festival submission process and are elated to finally be releasing it for the world to see. We had challenges, sure. Our biggest one was navigating the production process on a shoe-string budget. It opened my eyes to see how generous people can be and how lucky I am to have found the talented friends and partners that I have. In truth, I owe so many hugs and favors to so many good people.

What do I want people to know about my work? Hmm. Mexican filmmakers like me are often expected to adhere to stereotypical tropes—whether it be immigration, agricultural labor, or poverty. Despite those experiences being close to my own, they do not define all that I have to say artistically. With Last Stop Paris, I wanted to demonstrate the capacity of Mexican filmmakers to deviate from these familiar topics and showcase our versatility in the movies. While some of my cinematic idols like Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro G. Iñáritu have spearheaded this movement on the Hollywood scale, I feel that there is still much work to be done–especially for early-career Mexican-American filmmakers. My hope is that this film will leave a lasting emotional impact on audiences everywhere and that it may provide inspiration for filmmakers like me to be who they are, not who they are expected to be.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh god, I’m sorry. I don’t go out much; I’m really the wrong guy to ask. Maybe a fun night at El Coyote for dinner and then The New Beverly for a good movie? That floats my boat.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
John Cassavetes is rad. He’s my north star when it comes to artistic honesty and integrity. Anytime I feel nervous or insecure about something I’ve written or shot, I turn on one of his flicks and recalibrate. Hmm… something like baring my soul in my writing feels a lot easier with people like him around to lead the way. He was always on my mind during the making of Last Stop Paris.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laststopparismovie

Youtube: https://youtu.be/HHrMbCJjTDQ?si=QIgY-tON1QI7sHQr

Other: christianaceves100@gmail.com

Image Credits
Brandon Tran, Marcello Frisina