The two films in this Filmmakers in Focus paint vivid, intimate portraits of two very different subjects. Otilia Portillo Padua's Diario a Tres Voces is a visually stunning look at how love affects three different Mexican women. Eva Orner's The Network, on the other hand, examines Afghanistan from a unique perspective, and is no less intimate.
Click on a title below to read the conversations, then head to our film schedule to start planning your SXSW!
Otilia Portillo Padua on Diario a Tres Voces / Three Voices
Image courtesy Erick Castillo
Tell us a little about your film.
Three Voices is a candid and intimate account of the love lives of three women of different generations. Their stories unfold in their rooms —full of colors, textures and personal objects— where they have lived, loved and been loved. The film contrasts our notions of fairy tale love with the transient nature of our own relationships.
Why did you start making films? 
Otilia Portillo Padua,
courtesy Erick Castillo
I started making films because not only was I fascinated with storytelling but with the fine line between the real and the imaginary. I was particularly interested in how the spectator perceives space and time in cinema and how atmospheres generate moods.
Have you been to SXSW before?
No, but it sounds like it is redefining the way people see festivals with its multidisciplinary approach. I am of course interested in the films, music, conferences but mostly I see SXSW as a unique opportunity to interact with different people that are creatively involved in a diverse number of ways.
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
Since I was a kid I was obsessed with the horror genre in films and literature. So much that at age of 9 I lived my own horror film episode when I was exorcised by a slightly unstable family friend during lunch. It has now become a humorous episode but at that time it was a traumatizing event in my childhood.
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Eva Orner on The Network
Image courtesy Tarique Qayumi
Tell us a little about your film.
The Network is set at the largest television network in one of the most dangerous places on earth, Afghanistan.
Why did you start making films? 
Eva Orner, courtesy Tarique Qayumi
I waned to make a film about Afghanistan that wasn't about war and the military. I wanted to show a different side to the country that we haven't really seen before.
Have you been to SXSW before?
I have not. A few films I have produced have screened here, but I have never been.
I'm looking forward to showing my film to an audience. And having some fun!
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
I'm Australian. Lived in New York for 4 years and have been based in LA for 4 years. I have won an Oscar and an Emmy as a producer and this is my directorial debut.
