Vengeance

Vengeance is a film about a brother and sister in the Old West struggling to deal with the recent murder of their father at the hands of a gang of ruthless outlaws, known simply as The Gang of Five.
Having depleted their last monies on supplies, James and his sister Estrella decide to join the US Marshals office, both to earn some money and, ultimately, to avenge the death of their father. James wants to bring those responsible to justice. Estrella wants vengeance, pure and simple. All the while, their new boss - US Marshal Salvatore - works to teach them how to stay alive while also teaching them what the law can and can't do. But when Salvatore, a dedicated US official, allows himself to be drawn into an ego-fueled gun battle with the leader of The Gang of Five, all his principles are called into question, and James and Estrella must each make the decision for themselves.

  • Victor Picena
    Director
  • Victor Picena
    Writer
  • Victor Picena
    Producer
  • Danny Pardo
    Key Cast
    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2373963/
  • Raquel Garrido
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 36 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 4, 2017
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Red
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director - Victor Picena
Director Statement

I'm a poise writer/director, an astute talent with a proficient storytelling command, and a majestic vision to produce quality films. I design thought-provoking characters, and create a fascinating world. To emerge into methodical battlefield pitting the protagonist and antagonist in a dynamic struggle, thus, a dramatic story is born. Vengeance source of inspiration is Munich (2005), a "depiction of the events of the Munich Massacre in 1972"(IMBD), written by Tony Kushner (screenplay), Eric Roth (screenplay) and Steven Spielberg (director), based on the book Vengeance.

Vengeance is a short western tale about James and Estrella Clark who join the US Marshal to apprehend the Gang of Five, their father's murders. Surfacing into an epic gun duel pitting the Clark's against the Gang of Five in the Wild Wild West. I admire Steven Spielberg, Alejandro González Iñárrit, and Quentin Tarantino directing style. They are creative talents, artistically proficient in manifesting their vision. For example, Steven Spielberg is a master storyteller, assembling: actors, lighting, staging, camera, and audio. To facilitate a symphony evoking emotions into the scene. Schindler's list last scene exemplifies Oscar's humanity, and genuine bond with the Jewish people. Oscar, his wife, and a Jewish accountant stand among the crowd of Jews. The camera high angle with a wide lends captures the crowd of Jewish people standing. To convey the magnitude of Oscar's efforts in being the hope of humanity within the Holocaust. The camera is set at eye level, Oscar stares at the ring, the Jewish crowd, and starts sobbing. He's heart is touched by their gesture, and yearns to have done more. Oscar's compassion draws, the Jewish people to embrace him in a hug and share their gratitude.
Vengeance is a great collaborative and personal achievement. I truly joined the experience of learning the process of working on period piece, and creating a western set. I did encounter a lot of challenges on location: actors, permits, budget, equipment, props, and animals. I relied on my creative talent to resolve dilemmas and kept the production on schedule. The film quality lead to receiving three distribution deals, and currently waiting on a few film festivals.