PANAJI
The cast and crew of the films, Pike River and De Tal Palo came together today at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025 to share the inspirations, emotional journeys and real-life stories that shaped their films”two powerful works rooted in humanity, resilience and truth.
Director Iván Dariel Ortiz described De Tal Palo as an intimate artistic awakening”one that uncovers the quiet yet profound emotional labour grandparents shoulder within the modern family. “In many homes, they never truly retire. They remain the silent pillars”working, caring, sustaining, while their own needs are gently set aside. This lived truth, unearthed through extensive research, forms the emotional heartbeat of the film,” he reflected.
Iván spoke of the nuanced process of directing a young actress through such a delicate, emotionally layered narrative. “Children are pure instinct. It was required to maintain precision, patience and a deep sensitivity to her emotional rhythms on set. Transforming that innocence into a layered, meaningful performance is a craft in itself,” he flagged.
Drawing on his own experience as a grandfather, actor José Félix Gómez forged a genuine and tender bond with his young lead. From the very first day, he invited her to call him “Grandpa” and to seek his blessing each morning and night”a gentle ritual that nurtured trust and affection, ultimately infusing authenticity into their on-screen relationship. He said, watching her performance for the first time at the world premiere deeply moved him. “Her truth touched me. It reminded me that stories born from real lives and real pain are both a responsibility and a privilege to bring to the screen,” he added.
Director Robert Sarkies addressed the profound weight behind Pike River, a film rooted in one of New Zealand’s most devastating industrial disasters. “Say ‘Pike River’ in New Zealand, and everyone knows. It’s a word that carries grief, anger and unresolved injustice,” he said.
What compelled him to the project was the extraordinary fight for accountability led by two ordinary women who lost a husband and a son. “Their friendship, their courage”that became the heart of the film,” Robert explained.
Portraying this truth required exceptional emotional sincerity. The real women were often present on set, intensifying the responsibility felt by the actors. Robert recalled filming the scene in which families are told their loved ones have died. “Before shooting, the real family members shared their memories. Everyone was in tears. The scene that followed was so visceral that the families later told us, ‘That is exactly how it happened,” he remarked.
Robert also spoke of witnessing a remarkable human transformation. When he first met the women, they were engulfed in grief; he feared one might never rise from it. But as they began their campaign for justice, he saw them “open like a flower turning toward the light.” The film has since amplified their voices nationwide, drawing standing ovations”not for the film alone, but for the women whose courage helped reshape a nation.
