By: Jamie Steinberg
Photo Courtesy of Tribeca Films
Q) As co-writer of the film Before We Forget, where did the concept come from?
A) Before We Forget is a film I’ve carried for over thirty years. It stems from an event I experienced in my teens, which, quite by chance, was recorded on video and many people in my life remember it vividly. So ,for my first film I thought what better to talk about than something I know deeply? When things get tough during the process, I know I won’t flinch or hesitate, because I have so much knowledge of the subject.
Q) You star as Matias in the film. Were you always in mind to take on the lead?
A) I guess so. I may have played with the idea of casting someone else, but it didn’t stick, mostly because I consider Matias such a mixture of places and cultures, speaking two languages and with idiosyncrasies that would have been just too hard to teach someone. Playing Matias was also a way to save on casting… As per SAG, I had to get paid, but the money went straight back into the film.
Q) There is quite a tremendous cast assembled. How hands on were you when it came to casting the movie?
A) Very much so. I worked extensively with Amanda Lenker Doyle, my friend and casting director/producer on international actors. We searched everywhere, all over Scandinavia, the UK and the US. She discovered the incredibly magical Oscar Morgan and Julia Bender, as well as the seasoned pros Krista Kosonen and August Wittgenstein. I also called my friends Sarah Parish and Johannes Haukur Jóhannesson to be in the film, and I was so chuffed that they said yes… And for the Argentine roles, the local casting director Pablo Lapa found this kid who had never worked on a set before, Santiago Madrusan, to play Young Matias, and who made this movie so much more special than I could have imagined, plus the great Araceli Gonzalez, Fabian Mazzei, Toto Kirzner, Juan Cruz de la Serna, and of course, my mother and father, Marta Maineri and Vittorio Di Pace, whom I wanted in the film from the start.
Q) Co-writing, co-directing and starring in the film was quite a heavy workload for you! How did you manage wearing three hats at one time for the movie?
A) I would do it again. It was not as hard as I thought, because once the movie was written, acting in it was natural. Also, I had my co-director Andrés P. Estrada, who was responsible for directing me in scenes I was in. And I loved relinquishing control to him on those days… But the all-encompassing tasks of leading, producing, deciding, assembling crew and talent, yes, that was taxing, but it is what any film director does. I learned by trial by fire, pretty much surviving on the job and putting out fires as they came. And they came… trust me.
Q) The setting of Argentina plays almost a character itself in the movie. In what ways does the place where you’re originally from help shape the tone of the film?
A) Immensely. Buenos Aires is a very unique city and, even though we shot for one week there (the rest was shot in Duino, in Northern Italy), we made sure we showed emblematic places in Buenos Aires, places I remember from my childhood, like the giant gomero tree in Plaza San Martín. I loved rediscovering spots in the city that would bring something poetic to the movie.
Q) You and Andrés P. Estrada co-direct the film as well. What was the biggest challenge for you from bringing the script to the screen?
A) They say you make a film three times: first in the screenplay, then when you shoot and then when you edit. And this is so true of Before We Forget. The film we started is not the film people can watch today, but this one is infinitely richer, because all the artists and talented people involved left an indelible mark. Andrés and I met in high school at thirteen years old in Buenos Aires and we are like brothers, so we sometimes finish each other’s sentences and know each other’s tastes very well. But as much as we have a unified vision, we are also very different people and that sparked so many discussions about “getting to the bottom of things” in almost every aspect and scene, which is a great leveler while making a film.
Q) The entire movie is truly moving. Is there a particular scene or moment in the movie that holds a special place in your heart?
A) I have to say the car scene with Araceli Gonzalez, Fabian Mazzei and Santiago Madrusan. They say there is always a heartbeat scene in a movie and the car scene is exactly that. The heart. I put a lot of pressure on myself to have a scene that would stand the weight of the entire film… I always say, if that scene doesn’t work, the movie won’t work. And to see it come alive and linger in the audience’s mind long after they leave the cinema is such an intense feeling.
Q) What do you hope lingers with audiences that watch Before We Forget – either as an emotion or message?
A) I never like telling an audience what to feel. This is also something Andrés and I protected: we don’t like manipulative storytelling, because audiences are highly intelligent. So, we would only want them to sit and get lost in the story. If it reminds them of their first love, their relationship with their parents or that time when they couldn’t fully express how they felt to another person, that would be beautiful.
Q) What is next for you, Juan Pablo? Are there more on-screen or directing projects that you have coming up soon?
A) I’ve wanted to make films since I was six years old and making this movie was also a test to see how much I loved filmmaking, in real time. And I must say, I do… so much so that I am in pre-production for my second feature, to be shot in spring 2027. I like the adrenaline and the feeling of being in a remote land doing something together with a bunch of artists, all pulling toward the same goal. It’s like going to battle with your favorite people.
Q) You have such a beautiful singing voice! Is there a role on Broadway you’ve yet to play that you still dream of doing?
A) Oh, thank you! Well, as we speak, I just made my Broadway debut in Schmigadoon, playing “Doc,” you could say that is the role I was destined to play. [smiles] Schmigadoon started as a hugely successful Apple TV+ series and is now a show that won the Tony for Best Musical this year. One role I’d still love to play is…anything in a Sondheim or Kander and Ebb musical! It’s been quite a week, premiering Before We Forget and opening on Broadway within days! I am so proud about this moment because these are two things I always dreamed of and they are happening simultaneously… After you watch Before We Forget, hop on over to Broadway to see Schmigadoon!
Q) Speaking of music, is there an EP or new album possibly in the works for you?
A) Oh… it’s coming, it’s coming, I promise. The moment I shoot the next movie, I will go back to the studio and finish that EP I’ve been working on for years! I promise!
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of the work you do on our screens?
A) To thank them because my path is not a straight line and there is an eclectic quality to the things I do. What can I say, I love exploring every aspect of the arts. I am a fan and student of artists and a curious soul, so I want to thank them for keeping up with the different facets of my career, always supportive, always without judgment.