PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Jim McKay, director of the film En el septimo dia – On the seventh day
FRED’s Chiara Nicoletti interviews Jim McKay who is at the 70th Locarno Festival in the international competition for the first time with En El Septimo Dia, his fifth feature film. The film focuses on a group of undocumented immigrants from Mexico whose everyday life is devoted to the hardest and tiring jobs available in Brooklyn, New York except for the 7th day, Sunday when they finally rest on the soccer fields. McKay comments on his choice of casting non-professional actors and how good they were in following his instructions and the script. Some of them want to pursue an acting career and we might meet them soon and welcome them on FRED.
En el septimo dia (On the seventh day): a group of undocumented immigrants from Puebla live in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. They work long hours six days a week as bicycle-delivery guys, construction workers, dishwashers, deli workers, and cotton-candy vendors. On Sundays, they savor their day of rest on the soccer fields of Sunset Park. José, a bicycle delivery man, who is young and talented, hardworking and responsible, is the soccer team’s captain. When his team makes it to the finals, he and his teammates are thrilled, but his boss throws a wrench into the celebration when he tells him he must work exactly on the day of the final. José tries to reason with him and replace himself but all his efforts fail. If he doesn’t work on Sunday, his job and his future will be on the line.
For the official page of the film on the festival website, click here.