Alberto
Directed by Irene Mercadal
Length: 11:38
Producers: Fran Zayas
Editor: Fran Zayas
Cinematographer: Louise Zhang
This is the story of Alberto, a male strip dancer who is searching for an intimate connection with someone. One day, he finds his neighbor Ana's private handbook. Not only does he become fixated on her poems, but begins reciting to others around him: a coworker, his clientele, and finally a potential love interest. Unfortunately, he discovers he's the only one who feels a connection to the poems. Frustrated, he begrudgingly drops the notebook on Ana’s doorstep. The next day, Alberto's surprised to receive a visit from Ana, who is very charmed by the poem he wrote in her notebook, and in exchange, hands him a new notebook for him to write on. They share a moment of recognition; exactly what Alberto has been longing for. Finally, Alberto dances freely, happy to be seen for who he is, beyond objectification.
Irene Mercadal is a filmmaker from Talca, Chile, currently based in NYC, where she’s coursing her thesis year as a Film MFA candidate at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Irene has written, directed, and photographed numerous narrative short films and documentaries. Her work as a cinematographer has been shaped by her background in film aesthetics studies and documentary filmmaking, and ranges from comedy to observational documentary, with a variety of genres in between. In 2022 she was the recipient of the Volker Bahnemann Award for Outstanding Cinematography, awarded by Arri.
Irene’s directorial work explores feminism, gender, and people's actions against social injustice. Irene just premiered her film, Weona Loca, at Sanfic17. Her latest film, Alberto, is currently in post production. Irene’s debut feature film Dirt and Water is in development and was an official selection of the scriptwriting section “El principio del film” at Latinamerica’s biggest film market, Ventana Sur 2022.