Like Jonathan Demme did both did seamlessly, respectively in “Rachel Getting Married” and “La Ciénaga,” Lila Avilés (“The Chambermaid”) immerses us in a specific time and space full of people that resemble a family, which promises to connect universally with audiences all over the world. But what is unique about Lila’s film “Tótem” is that we are brought into this time and space through the eyes of a seven-year old girl named Sol. The celebration is a birthday party for her dying father Tona, and we follow her around as the family prepares for this celebration.

It was an honor to speak with Lila about her sophomore feature that premieres in Chicago on Friday at the Siskel Film Center. We talked about finding her Sol, the editing process with Omar Guzmán, and the meaning behind the title of her film. “Tótem” was short-listed for the Oscars’ foreign film category, and is nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 2024 Indie Spirit Awards.

I’d love to hear you expand upon what you mentioned in the film’s production notes, stating, “I played around with the basic idea of how a young girl experiences the world. I knew I wanted to rebuild that essence and to also play with the concept of time and space.”

Our childhoods are what inform our personalities. We obviously keep changing and evolving, but it is those early years that lay the groundwork of our personalities. For me, it was important to return to those first years, to a specific time and space. We have those days you can worship, or those days that you hate. This film takes us to one of these days. Life is about those moments that keep changing.

You also said, “It’s important to work with people who make me happy. We can make a film together but we can also get coffee or ice cream together, and that creates a sense of closeness, of warmth.” What do you love about the communal aspect of filmmaking, and what was special about the community you built for this particular film?

With the right people, you can have a great party, or a great trip. It’s also like this with a film. Obviously making a film is work, but I think the nice part of filmmaking is how we care for one another in the process. You care about the actors, and the producers care about everyone. As a director, I care for all of the people. I think that those are the beautiful aspects of making a film. It’s such a profound process for me. It’s nice to have good people around working with you that can support you, and that you can feel safe with.

How did you find Naíma Sentíe for Sol?

Gabriela Cartol and myself put together our cast. It was such a surprise to find Naíma for this role. It was the first time she acted in her life. 

Wow! That’s amazing. She’s such a natural.

Yes, we developed this character together. What attracted me to her in the beginning was that I really loved speaking with her. She can speak about many different kinds of things. She was super-intuitive, intelligent, and wild at the same time. But she was also very patient during the casting process. Every time I reached out to her about casting, she was like, ‘Okay Lila, my grandmother told me I need to be open, and if it’s for me, it’s for me, but if it’s not for me, then I’m okay with that too.’

That’s so sweet! Can you talk about the improvisation in the script? 

I love when characters feel alive. I work with half professional actors and half non-professional actors. I think it’s the perfect match because it gives it the feeling of something real. It’s not so much about the acting. I love that feeling of it being almost like a documentary. I feel this gives the actors a lot of freedom. But on the other side, it’s important to have a structure so that things don’t go off-balance.

How was the editing process for you? I imagine it could have been a challenge with so many people involved onscreen.

The editing process is one of my favorite parts of filmmaking. I have a great relationship with my editor, Omar Guzmán. Along with “Tótem,” we worked together on “The Chambermaid,” and I know we will work together again in upcoming projects. He’ll edit parts on his own, and then I’ll edit parts on my own. Then we get together and put together a structure in between both of our editing worlds. It’s nice to do things that way, because I don’t use music at all . . .

I think that’s so interesting. What was that the reason to not use music?

I don’t know, I just love music so much. I feel that music was really the seed for our own lives. You hear a song, and you go somewhere. I made the same choice to have no music with “The Chambermaid.” But there is a huge element of sound design within that. I try to catch my music of the film within the editing process.

What do you hope people see in your film?

It’s really been a nice run with the film

Yes, congratulations on all the awards, and making the Oscar short-list, which was so well-deserved.

I feel only gratitude with everything that has happened with the film. “Tótem” has been seen in so many different countries, and I’ve also traveled a lot with this film. Somehow it doesn’t matter if you come from a big family or a small family, or a different culture, or a social issue, the film has something that connects with their own stories. During my festival experience, people tell me their own stories after they watch this film. The film has a beautiful relationship with the audience.

Can you talk about why you chose “Tótem” for the film’s title? 

I’ve had the idea for this film for such a long time, but before I developed the film, I wanted to think about a title with one key word. When I’m writing a script, I can’t go so deep unless I have a title. When I have a title for a film, I realize that it has so many layers. When the film became “Tótem,’ it made total sense to me. Everyone knows these “totems,” yes? In America, in Canada, in Australia, and all over the world. It’s this relationship between nature, and animals, and between each other. Because we are also animals, right? 

Yes we are, and I love the title. It ties everything together. Thank you for this film!