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PRODUCTION / FUNDING Spain

Short film Tin&Tina gets the feature-length treatment, but loses none of its suspense

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- The feature-length version of Rubin Stein’s award-winning short of the same name is currently being shot, with two sought-after actors, Jaime Lorente and Milena Smit, heading up the cast

Short film Tin&Tina gets the feature-length treatment, but loses none of its suspense
Director Rubin Stein (middle) with the two lead actors, Milena Smit and Jaime Lorente (© Julio Vergne)

On 27 July, the shoot kicked off in Seville for Tin&Tina [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, the feature debut by Rubin Stein, based on the short film of the same name, which was nominated for the Méliès d’Or for Best European Fantastic Short Film, won more than 30 international awards and was screened at more than 200 festivals the world over. It is a psychological horror flick about two twin siblings who, after being orphaned and being welcomed into a convent where they receive a strict upbringing, are adopted by a young couple.

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It stars Milena Smit (who appears in Parallel Mothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile
]
by Pedro Almodóvar, which is set to open the Venice Film Festival, after having picked up a Goya nomination for her turn in Cross the Line [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Victori
film profile
]
), Jaime Lorente (Gun City [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), Carlos González Morollón (Father There Is Only One [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
) and Anastasia Achikmina (the series The Ministry of Time), with Teresa Rabal putting in a special appearance.

For Stein, “Tin&Tina is, in essence, a mystery film. And there’s nothing more mysterious than the mind of a child: kids live inside their own real world, with their own rules and beliefs. Trying to understand their actions and intentions can be very difficult at times. That’s why I have always loved movies about enigmatic children. My aim as a director is to give viewers the feeling that they have been on an original, unique journey once they come out of the cinema – a sometimes entertaining and sometimes terrifying journey to a Spain from the past that echoes in the present through the themes of childhood, family, religion, and the limits of good and evil.”

According to the producer, Olmo Figueredo (one of the 2020 Producers on the Move – see the interview), “Rarely have I enjoyed the process of writing a screenplay and developing a feature as much as I did with Tin&Tina. And that was no coincidence: everything is down to Rubin. He has an innate ability to make you feel like you are really part of the project, like you are contributing at every level, but at the same time, he always manages to take it to a personal place which is in keeping with his style. I think that is what persuaded names of the calibre of Milena and Jaime to get on board the project. I am in no doubt whatsoever that the film will surprise people and that Stein’s name will be on everyone’s lips in the years to come.”

Rubin Stein is a film director, screenwriter and producer. He created the Luz & Oscuridad trilogy of short suspense films (in black and white), consisting of Tin&Tina (2013), Nerón (2016) and Bailaora (2018), which have racked up more than 100 international awards and 500 festival selections. His works are notable for their enigmatic narratives and powerful mise-en-scène, which the media have labelled as “a mix between Guillermo del Toro and David Lynch”, describing him as “a disciple of Hitchcock”.

Tin&Tina is a production by La Claqueta PC and Tin&Tina La Película AIE, in co-production with Miami Film Gate. It boasts the involvement of Canal Sur Radio y Televisión, and has secured support from the ICAA and the Andalusian Cultural Institution Agency. Its world sales are handled by Latido Films, while Filmax will take care of its Spanish distribution.

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(Translated from Spanish)

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