Matthew Holloway – Director

Pecos Falls was my first screenplay and movie. In the summer of 2003 I'd been writing a lot of fiction and taking classes when I saw a restored version of my father's 1972 35mm feature, A Voyage to Arcturus. All my life I'd been watching him work on documentaries on various media — 16mm, Beta-Cam, DV, mini-DV. We had Movieolas and lights in the shed, editing suites in the basement, and cameras and film stock all around. The elements of film were key elements of my upbringing, but I'd never seen him work on a feature.

Arcturus was the only narrative piece I'd ever seen by my father, and I realized that we ought to do another one. We talked about various options that summer and had a few projects in mind, but when he came to visit me in Pecos that fall, we decided that New Mexico needed a role in the movie. We dragged out a short story I'd written the previous year and I began the process of adapting it for the screen.

Because the voice of the wilderness was so loud in the story, we decided to let it be the star of the film as well. The bulk of the film is shot in documentary fashion to enhance the role of the wind and water, the trees and dirt. When the dramatic tension elevates, we return to conventional narrative film making, but for the most part we were out to shoot a scripted documentary. The fact that Ramon had worked in stunts made this an effective approach, since he had a natural sense for the wide frame and the physicality of acting in it. Jenny's stature and unique coloration and features served the same purpose, as did Chris' intensity and depth.

The final product fascinates me. While the actual plot is fairly simple, the visual narrative and the performances are deeply layered and nuanced. I'm currently working in Austin, TX with some very talented musicians to bring those layers out through sound. I'm hoping to have the movie ready for premiere by December, and to open it in Santa Fe sometime that month.