Interview with Marco Perego of Dovecote

Dovecote is a visual feast that takes you on a journey as Javier Julia (Argentina, 1985) puts on impressive displays of cinematography.
Directed by Marco Perego and starring Zoe Saldana, Dovecote transports you to the canals of Venice as a prison guard steps onto a gondola. At sunrise with light barely breaking, the guard maneuvers the boat through the dimly lit canals and under tight spaces on the way to the prison where he works. When the guard reaches the prison and enters, the camera travels through a hole in the wall into the prison. There is an incredible change as the shot morphs from colour in academy ratio to black and white with a wide ratio. It is in this prison room we first meet Zoe Saldana’s character.
A beautiful score mainly drives this short as there is next to no dialogue, more fitting for such a contemplative short as opposed to sticking to a strict narrative. As we follow Zoe’s character through the prison you quickly learn she’s served her time and is now free to go. Throughout the scenes in the prison the camera does not break, flowing in and out of rooms and around people, almost like it is dancing with its subjects. It’s astonishing that almost every person seen in this short is an actual prison guard or a real inmate, giving the short a documentary feel. The portrait of these women you see all gathered in the hallway is stunning. As Zoe leaves the prison another woman enters, like ships passing in the night, replacing the void that Zoe left.

In the end, we are left with one final shot - one this short was inspired by. Zoe is back outside smoking on a bench. Colour has returned and so has the narrower academy ratio shot. On the ground sits a pigeon unable to move. Zoe’s acting excels here as she squeezes out every ounce of emotion in her facial expressions.
Dovecote asks the question: What does it mean to be truly free?
It’s ironic that the shots in the prison use a wider, more open look, conveying more freedom. Inversely, the narrower and closer look used outside of the prison feels more constrained. A lot of the women in this prison come from abusive situations or households. Is there freedom in their camaraderie from the abuse and expectations of the outside? Just like the pigeon outside who lost its ability to fly, sitting calmly outside. Freedom isn’t always about spreading your wings. It can come in many forms, even when everything is stripped away as you sit in stillness.
Check out our interview with Marco Perego below as Pedro joins him to discuss the themes and shooting of Dovecote.
Review by: Brandon MacMurray
Interview by: Pedro Lima
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