Private Project

Echoes of the Past

In an elegant country house, Luisa and her husband Derlis organize a dinner with old friends. The event promises to be a celebration of reunion but quickly turns into an emotional battlefield when memories of the past reveal a web of secrets and lies that would put their friendship at risk.

  • Carlos Rafael Mendoza
    Director
    No Tienes Escape, El Prado, Travesìa
  • Carlos Rafael Mendoza
    Writer
  • Juan Isidro Benitez
    Producer
  • Rebeca Ibañez
    Key Cast
    "Luisa"
  • Juan Benitez
    Key Cast
    "Derlis"
  • Yulian Baez
    Key Cast
    "Diego"
  • Zulema Ramirez
    Key Cast
    "Clara"
  • Beatriz Acuña
    Key Cast
    "Evelyn"
  • Monica Ramirez
    Key Cast
    "Rosa"
  • Fabian Lopez
    Key Cast
    "Carlos"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Ecos del Pasado
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 43 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 18, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    400 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Paraguay
  • Country of Filming:
    Paraguay
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Carlos Rafael Mendoza

Carlos Mendoza is a director and screenwriter born in 1997 in the city of Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay.
His career began in 2013 when he directed his first short film "No Tienes Escape" which was a participant and winner of the categories Best Student Short Film and Best Short Film by Public Vote at the Festival Audiovisual de la Sociedad Cultural, it was also selected for the Tesape Exhibition in 2013. This short film opened the doors to the world of cinema and was what determined his passion for Audiovisual production.
Part of his childhood was marked by the influence of horror movies, since it was a tradition in his family to get together on Saturdays to watch classics like; "The Exorcist" "Friday 13th" "A Nightmare on Elm Street" among many others, which led him to develop a fascination with this genre.
Since 2015 he studied architecture at the UCA for 5 years, a period in which he also continued to train in the Audiovisual field by taking several courses, seminars and workshops for the development of audiovisual materials, during this period he made short films such as "Sobrevivir". "La esquina de las Esperanzas" and a series of short documentaries focused on women and activism for the non-profit organization "CIES Ñepyru" with the support of the Global Fund Mujeres del Sur.
Since 2021 he has been part of the Creators Network of the Itaú Foundation and Amamos Cine where he made his fifth short film "Sapukai" based on the folklore traditions of Paraguay.
His latest work; The short film "El Prado" from 2023 was a participant and winner of the Best Script and Best Performance categories at the International Audiovisual Festival of the Cultural Society in the 2023 edition.
Among the directors who most inspire him to continue following his path as a filmmaker are Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Wes Craven, Dario Argento, Mario Bava...

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The idea of ​​the short film "Echoes of the Past" was born from the director's personal experiences at different stages of his life and with different groups of friends.
The short film is mainly about friendship and how many factors can influence the interpersonal relationships of a group of friends, such as; the passage of time, the secrets and mainly the guilt that each person carries for the actions of the past.
To cover these themes, the director considered drama as the most appropriate genre for the short film with characters and situations that feel real and with which the audience can identify.
The main message of "Ecos del Pasado" is about forgiveness, but forgiveness towards oneself. Demonstrating that emotional wounds can be healed by facing the events that marked our past and reassuring ourselves about it with the people we care about and who can be a support for us.