The collaboration aligns seamlessly with Piano’s established international ethos, echoing the trajectory of Östlund’s multi-Oscar-nominated satire. Much like that critical darling, “Jengira’s Magnificent Dream” advances Piano’s steadfast dedication to fostering global creative partnerships with boundary-pushing filmmakers who consistently challenge the conventions of traditional cinema.
Weerasethakul’s ambitious project serves as his follow-up to “Memory,” the critically lauded feature that also starred Tilda Swinton and was co-produced by Piano alongside Colombia’s Burning, among other international partners. The narrative centers on a Thai widow named Jengira, who embarks on a journey to the ancient rock forest of Sigiriya in central Sri Lanka to scatter her late husband’s ashes. As she traverses the historical landscape, a series of blurred visions distorts her perception of time and space, pulling her across various historical epochs. Guided by a profound synthesis of science and empathy, Jengira ultimately transforms into a living portal bridging the past, the future, and the spiritual realm. Blending 1970s sci-fi aesthetics with a timeless atmosphere—where cell phones serve as the sole markers of temporal difference—the film gracefully blurs the delicate boundaries separating memory, recorded history, and the supernatural.
Joining Swinton in the ambitious international cast are prominent Thai performers Jenjira Pongpas, known for her captivating work in “Cemetery of Splendor,” and Sakda Kaewbuadee of “Tropical Malady” fame, alongside Canadian actor Connor Jessup, widely recognized for his role in the television series “Falling Skies.”
In an exclusive interview with Variety, Chavezmontes reflected on Piano’s remarkable trajectory over the past fifteen years, offering deep insights into the company’s methodical approach to identifying unique talent and cultivating complex co-productions. He emphasized that the firm maintains a remarkably open-minded stance regarding genres and formats, consistently prioritizing a distinct, uncompromising creative vision over predictable mainstream formulas.
“If something strikes us as potentially incredible, then the format is absolutely secondary,” Chavezmontes explained during the discussion.
This outward-looking, global perspective has served as the bedrock of Piano’s steady expansion, a philosophy championed by Chavezmontes, whose extensive producing credits include such celebrated works as Lucrecia Martel’s “Our Land,” Luis Ortega’s San Sebastian Horizons-winning feature “The Jockey,” and Abel Ferrara’s surreal drama “Siberia.”
Piano’s prominent international footprint is currently on display at the Morelia Film Festival, where the company is simultaneously celebrating a major company anniversary. Its presence at the festival includes screening Chile’s official Academy Award submission, Manuela Martelli’s co-produced feature “The Meltdown,” alongside five distinct titles it handles for distribution: Poh Si Teng’s debut feature documentary “American Doctor,” “Mickey,” “The Lost Mariachis,” “Shana,” and “Beauty Salon.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming Ventana Sur market, Piano is set to participate in the Proyecta Co-Production Forum with “The Absence,” the eagerly awaited debut feature from Mexican director Jorge Sistos Moreno, whose acclaimed short film “The Darkness” previously made its world premiere in the Critics’ Week section of the Cannes Film Festival.
Despite navigating the high-stakes world of international film financing and distribution, Chavezmontes asserts that the core of Piano’s philosophy remains firmly rooted in authentic creative collaboration rather than a calculated pursuit of awards or commercial predictability.
“The secret to our success is very difficult to know,” Chavezmontes reflected. “Pero above all, I think it comes down to a genuine belief in cinema and a refusal to approach what we do cynically.”
Chavezmontes initially established Piano with the modest ambition of producing his own cinematic projects, beginning with “Halley,” a striking feature he wrote and which Sebastián Hofmann directed. Over time, the company naturally broadened its scope to encompass projects helmed by external filmmakers, forging durable relationships through the circuit of international film festivals, distribution agreements, and multi-territory co-production alliances.
One of the company’s most pivotal and high-profile collaborations blossomed through “Time Share” (“Tiempo Compartido”), a film Chavezmontes wrote and produced that competed in the World Cinema Dramatic competition at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018. The festival jury, presided over by Ruben Östlund, honored the film with the Best Screenplay award. That encounter paved the way for deeper connections with Östlund’s longtime producing partner Erik Hemmendorff and producer Philippe Bober. Having previously handled the Mexican distribution for Östlund’s acclaimed feature “The Square,” Piano was subsequently approached about joining forces on “Triangle of Sadness.”
“Of course, the answer was an immediate yes!” Chavezmontes recalled.
While “Triangle of Sadness” ultimately evolved into Piano’s most globally visible and commercially successful production to date, Chavezmontes consistently resists the urge to define the company by a single breakout title or a specific genre box. He points to diverse arthouse ventures such as Mia Hansen-Løve’s “Bergman Island” and Abel Ferrara’s “Siberia” as prime examples of works whose true value transcends immediate box office reception or short-term critical consensus.
“We tend to be quite chameleonic in the kinds of films we make, and we like to challenge those categories,” he noted. “We do that because we’re genuinely committed to exploring new things and finding stories that move us.”
When evaluating prospective scripts or emerging projects, Chavezmontes relies on a remarkably straightforward metric: whether the material genuinely resonates with him as an ordinary spectator. Describing himself first and foremost as an everyday moviegoer, he maintains that any film capable of moving him on a personal level possesses the inherent capacity to connect with audiences far beyond the insular confines of the film industry.
“What matters to me is whether it speaks to me and whether I feel that we can contribute to making it happen, both creatively and in terms of the other aspects of production,” he observed.
Co-production as a creative engine
Reflecting on the vital necessity of international co-productions—particularly within the precarious landscape of independent cinema—Chavezmontes offered a clear perspective on what truly binds these complex multi-nation ventures together.
“Ultimately, what really defines a co-production is the people who come together to collaborate,” he stated. “The creative team, the technical crew—they’re the ones who actually make the films. Money simply makes it possible to hire them.”
This humanist philosophy directly informs Piano’s approach to ventures that transcend national borders. Chavezmontes argued that the rich exchange of ideas and diverse cultural perspectives is every bit as critical as the financial mechanisms, especially when ambitious filmmakers strive to execute complex, large-scale visions that would be impossible within a single domestic market.
Mexico’s next step: a comprehensive film policy
During the discussions, Chavezmontes also addressed the broader industrial landscape in his home country, calling on Mexico to build proactively upon its recently introduced 30% tax incentive—which benefits both local and international productions—by establishing a comprehensive, long-term national policy for the broader audiovisual sector.
While welcoming recent regional support initiatives, including localized state-level incentives implemented in Jalisco and Morelos, he argued that Mexico requires a much more robust and unified system of national backing, comparable to the established frameworks currently operating in countries like Spain, Brazil, and Colombia.
“We’ve reached a point where people understand that the audiovisual sector isn’t simply a matter of cultural support,” Chavezmontes pointed out. “It’s an industrial catalyst.”
He firmly believes that Mexico possesses all the necessary raw materials—including world-class artistic talent, sophisticated technical infrastructure, breathtaking diverse locations, and a thriving tourism sector—to compete far more aggressively in the global production market. The missing piece of the puzzle, he contends, remains a stable policy framework that explicitly recognizes the multifaceted economic, cultural, and social value generated by film and television production.
An independent vision
Even as Piano continues to expand its international reach and scale of operations, Chavezmontes maintains that the company’s foundational compass remains completely unchanged, anchored entirely by an unwavering faith in the stories it chooses to champion.
“We make films we genuinely believe in,” he concluded. “And I think that conviction is what people recognize in us: that there’s an authentic vision behind Piano, rather than a cynical one.”
