Will Bjarnar, after reviewing The Perfect Tomato, interviewed the director, Cristobal Abugaber.
Will Bjarnar: You’ve said that you were inspired by a visit to a fruit cart in New York after seeing that the cherry tomatoes they sold were harvested in your hometown in Mexico, and that you then visited a Mexican tomato farm and spoke with the farmers about their aspirations. What did they share with you that then led you to making The Perfect Tomato?
Cristobal Abugaber: What really struck me when talking to the farmers was that most of them had no interest in promotions, even if it meant earning more money. They were genuinely content with their routines- waking up early, working on the farm, coming home to their families, enjoying a glass of milk before bed, and sleeping around 8pm to start all over again the next day. For them, more money wouldn’t significantly change their daily lives. “I have everything I need” many of them would say, and that perspective challenged my own ideas of success and led me to write this short film.
WB: Did the idea for the film then come as a surprise to you? Or were you searching for a story of this nature, and this just happened to be the catalyst?
CA: It wasn’t exactly a surprise- I was already looking for a story that explored the meaning of success. Initially, I was developing a film about a highly successful but lonely orchestra violinist in his 60s who was grappling with Parkinson’s and could no longer play. But after my experience at the tomato farm, I decided to go with Nacho.
WB: I’m particularly fascinated with script writing, especially for young up-and-coming filmmakers. When it comes to writing, do you find that you are constantly toying with ideas that you hope will eventually become scripts? Do you keep a running list of loglines, if you will, that you’re itching to expand one day? Is your approach more of the one-by-one variety? Maybe it’s none of the above; I’m just curious how you tackle that part of the process.
CA: I keep a journal on my phone where I write down ideas, things I see on the street, interesting people I meet- anything that catches my attention. Sometimes, these notes spark a story, a scene, a character, or even just a piece of dialogue. I also keep a running list of ideas, concepts, or loglines that I think could eventually become films. I like developing multiple stories at the same time- not necessarily at the same stage, but jumping between them helps me clear my mind and come back with fresh eyes.
WB: Let’s get back to the specifics of The Perfect Tomato: Its three characters are easy enough to understand, with Nacho being the aging farmer whose motivation is stability, Elena is the middle-aged mother with a dream, and Maria is the kind hearted granddaughter who wants to be there for both of her loved ones. How did you go about building the emotional framework for each character? What were important characteristics to include?
CA: It all started with Nacho. I knew he had to be a wise, loving man who values family and farming above all else and is completely content with his simple life. From there, Elena emerged as his opposite- the dreamer, the ambitious one- and then Maria, the granddaughter, became the bridge between them, Nacho’s soft spot. Once I had this triangle in place, it was all about adding the necessary layers and backstory to make them feel real and relatable. That was especially challenging because as you know, in short films, you have to be very specific and avoid diving too deep into details that might pull the audience away from the core story.
WB: Related to that: Is it a challenge to pack so much emotional baggage, if you will, into a film that runs under 20 minutes? Or did you always imagine The Perfect Tomato as a short that gives us just enough to latch on to these characters and their motivations?
CA: Yes, it was definitely a challenge. There were earlier versions of the script where I went much deeper into their backstories, explored more characters on the farm, and added external conflicts. But then suddenly, I’d be on page 20 and realize I had to stop, go back, and rethink the core of the story- which is not always easy to see.
WB: What drew you to the three actors – Eligio Meléndez as Nacho, María Meléndez as Elena, and María Fernanda Ayala as Maria? All three have very individual roles, but it’s imperative that they work in concert with one another. What are you looking for when casting parts like these, and how did they fit the bill?
CA: I was extremely lucky with casting. From the moment I started writing Nacho, I had Eligio Meléndez in mind. A director friend put me in touch with him, and we ended up talking on the phone for hours. Right away, he was very open to collaborating, so I sent him the script. After reading it, he called me and said, “You know, I have a daughter (María Meléndez) who’s a producer and wants to get into acting- she’s the same age as Elena. And I also have a niece (María Fernanda Ayala) who’s almost like a granddaughter to me, loves acting, and is the same age as María.” I couldn’t believe it. It felt too good to be true. So, I reached out to them, and- well- the rest is history.
WB: How closely are you and your cinematographer, Brendan Sweeney, working in crafting the film’s appearance? You pack in a lot of scenery and a few different locations in a short amount of time. How much of finding the film’s look, if you will, is happening ahead of time versus in real time as you’re filming?
CA: Brendan and I worked very closely on how we wanted the film to look and feel, and we did a lot of planning beforehand. However, we knew that locations would play a major role in shaping the visual style. So a big part of the process was finding the right locations first. Then, we did a tech scout with the art team to determine the best areas of the house for key scenes, the ideal time of day for shooting, etc. And finally, as always happens, once we were filming, Brendan’s incredible eye led to new visual opportunities and ideas that added even more depth to the film’s look.
WB: In terms of what’s next for you: I know you’re pursuing your MFA in Directing and Screenwriting at Columbia, and that your thesis short for that program revolves around a future where AI dictates mental health, and that your debut feature, The Way Home, is in the early stages of development. Where are you in those processes, and what is it like for you to transition from something like The Perfect Tomato to those projects?
CA: I’m really excited about these upcoming projects because they each come with their own unique challenges. Faint Memories, my thesis short, which I’ll be shooting this fall, is an ambitious sci-fi drama unlike anything I’ve written or directed before- which makes it very exciting. Right now, I’m finalizing the script revisions.
Meanwhile, The Way Home, my feature film, is a dramedy about a priest who gets a chance to reconnect with his estranged and carefree younger brother after 40 years apart since joining the seminary. I’m currently revising the latest draft and working on a new one. Even though these stories might seem very different from The Perfect Tomato, at their core, they explore the same themes- people searching for meaning while navigating complex family dynamics.
