Eight seconds - work version

Under the nocturnal winter panorama in Alcochete, "Eight Seconds" tells the story of a young ex-couple, who have not seen each other for some time. They walk through the city streets, talking about their lives, wishes and their past relationship.

  • Renan Tcholakian
    Director
  • Renan Tcholakian
    Writer
  • Luis Eduardo Graça
    Producer
  • Ricardo Morgado
    Key Cast
  • Joana Lameira
    Key Cast
  • Hugo Nunes
    Cinematography
  • Nádia Branco
    Film Editing
  • Andreia Pina
    Make Up
  • Xavier Gonçalves
    Gaffer
  • Liam Monteiro
    Boom operator
  • Ana Machado
    Sound
  • Ana Machado
    Sound Designer
  • João Semedo
    Assistent Producer
  • Filipe Sacramento
    Color correction
  • Rafaela Monteiro
    Communication
  • Rita Antunes
    Scene Photography
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Romance, Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 31, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    170 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Portugal
  • Country of Filming:
    Portugal
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - ETIC - Escola de Tecnologias de Inovação e Criação
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Renan Tcholakian

Renan Tcholakian was born in Arujá, a city in the interior of the state of São Paulo in Brazil. He holds a degree in Marketing from Anhembi Morumbi and Financial Management University from Getúlio Vargas Fundation, both in São Paulo. He is currently studying a bachelor's degree in Cinema and Television at ETIC Lisboa. In the mid-2010s he discovered his passion for writing and cinema and started writing short stories just for fun. In 2020, he published his first book, a collection of humorous short stories entitled “Absurd Tales That Will Not Change Your Life”. In cinema, he wrote the short film “Paradoxo”, produced in 2018 by students of the cinema course at the Cinema of São Paulo Institute and is currently writing and directing the documentary “The Woman Of The 21st Century” and the short film “Eight Seconds”, both in post-production.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I always heard my mother say "Whatever will be, will be!" and with my own personal experiences I witnessed that, sometimes, the right people come through our lives at the wrong time.

Throughout life, hundreds of people come in our lives, some who unfortunately are gone, but we wish they had stayed.

The whole story is told by the impactful dialogue between HIM and HER, but with a greater dimension to what they want and what they cannot say, like two people who have a lot to say, but don't quite know how. The characters’ body movements are of great importance in the unfolding of the story, as we see the awkwardness caused by months apart becoming more comfortable with each other.

The minimalist setting, using only the empty streets of the village, leaves all the imagery focus on the two main characters. This creats an atmosphere as if those characters were the only ones in the existence at that moment.

The main message I wish to convey with this film is the fact that some people are temporary in life. There may be opportunites for people to reunite with each other, but that depends if we want to allow that to happen.