An invitation to explore the darker edges of the human mind, Jorge Riquelme Serrano’s psychological thriller Chameleon follows in the footsteps of some of cinema’s most disturbing uninvited guest narratives, to remind us that home and our most intimate relationships are only a safe haven when we’re careful about who we let in. I spoke to Jorge (with the tireless help of Daniel Diaz’s live translation) at the London Film Festival about the ethos of his Chilean filmmaking collective Laberinto, and how he used structured improvisation to complete his debut feature shoot in a mere four days.
Chameleon (Camaleón) (2016)
Chameleon is a psychological thriller following a day in the life of couple Paula and Paulina in their summer home. The arrival of an unexpected guest interrupts their intimate day together, triggering a shocking transformation that reveals the darkest recesses of the human mind.
In order for this to be authentic, the actors had to live as these characters – so on location for 4 days, they live, eat, breath as these characters – thus eliminating any margin of error.
