Dominion Evolucion

"Dominion Evolucion" is a short narrative film. Argentina, 2050. Scientist Victor Bertaum, infected and isolated in his laboratory, strives to discover a cure for the Sedga virus, which has wiped out two-thirds of the global population, while he remains in a cryogenic state to survive.

Through a radio broadcast, he learns that the Rossum Corporation is dispatching special agents with the virus cure to save the survivors. However, he distrusts the corporation and aims to develop his own cure. After numerous failed attempts, Bertaum exhausts his supplies and abandons his research, resigning himself to die from the infection.

At that moment, Randa, an agent from Rossum, arrives to administer the cure. Bertaum decides to accept the Rossum vaccine, unaware of the corporation's true intentions.

Lucas Zoppi studied filmmaking at the Fine Arts University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He directed several short films during his university career and also pursued studies in screenwriting and editing.

How did you start making films and what was the first film project you worked on?

I started making films in high school with a friend. We began with short films and eventually decided to take on the challenge of creating an amateur feature with minimal resources and little knowledge of equipment. Using just a small Sony camera, we shot “La Execración Teatral”, a mafia story with supernatural elements.

The production took place during our final two years of high school, with a cast of friends and classmates who also worked as crew. This experience was invaluable, as it taught me fundamental filmmaking techniques—shot composition, camera movements, directing actors, visual effects, editing, and sound design—often without me realizing it at the time. It was my first true immersion into film production.

After high school, I pursued filmmaking at the Fine Arts University of Argentina. During my studies, I worked on various short films, but by my third year, I created what I consider one of my best films to date: “Dominion Evolución” (this sci-fi short film won Best Sci-Fi Film at the 2021 Toronto Film Magazine Festival). It tells the story of a scientist infected with a deadly virus, isolated in his lab, and forced to choose between death and accepting a vaccine from a sinister corporation.

Making “Dominion Evolución” was a huge challenge. We shot the entire film in one day, on location, with almost no budget. While I had directed other short films before, this was my true cinematic debut. The tight timeline and the sci-fi genre pushed us to establish a nearly flawless workflow, ensuring the film's success despite the budget constraints.

What genre of filmmaking are you looking to work on and why? 

I’m particularly drawn to the genres of horror, science fiction, and suspense. While the genre is always shaped by the story I want to tell, these three resonate most deeply with me. Currently, I’m focused on projects within the horror and mystery genres, though they often blend elements of crime and psychological drama.

Horror, in particular, fascinates me because it allows me to explore the emotional

and psychological depths of characters. In horror, external forces, whether supernatural, monstrous, or human, act as catalysts for internal transformation.

Characters are pushed to their limits, forced to confront their darkest fears and deepest vulnerabilities. The genre creates a space where external terror and internal struggles intertwine, often exposing raw emotional truths about the human condition. It’s these moments of intense emotional crisis, where characters are forced to make impossible choices that I find most compelling.

I’m also drawn to the dramatic aspects of horror, especially when it intertwines with personal conflict. It’s not just about creating fear; it’s about telling stories of human struggle, loss, and resilience. The external terror often mirrors an internal battle, whether it’s guilt, trauma, or the fight for survival. This dual-layered approach allows me to explore the darker aspects of life, making the horror feel more grounded and relatable.

In addition to the emotional complexity, I enjoy creating characters with unique physical traits, often realized through makeup and costume design, that reflect their personal journey. These striking visual elements not only distinguish the characters but also enrich the narrative I’m aiming to tell.

What is the most challenging aspect of being an independent filmmaker?

One of the main challenges in independent filmmaking is the ability to manage time efficiently on set while working within a constrained budget. This often requires a balance between creative ingenuity and practical limitations, particularly when dealing with genres like horror and science fiction, where visual effects, both practical and digital, are essential to realizing the script’s vision.

In the independent productions I’ve worked on, I’ve frequently had to rethink scenes that initially required costly technical solutions. Instead of relying on expensive equipment or elaborate effects, I’ve learned to implement creative workarounds, from camera tricks to lighting techniques that not only preserve the story's integrity but also enhance the visual storytelling.

These alternatives can shift the perspective of a scene, keeping the narrative compelling while adhering to budget constraints. This is where the craft of independent filmmaking truly comes into play. By embracing the limitations, you are forced to think outside the box. Often, these leads

to more inventive solutions that can amplify the emotional impact of a scene. The challenge is to maintain the consistency of the film’s visual language and overall tone without sacrificing the integrity of the story.

As with any production, pre-production planning is essential. A clear understanding of the narrative and its core themes is crucial to making creative decisions that support the story, even when resources are scarce. If you don’t have a strong grasp of what the script is trying to communicate, those budget constraints can quickly become insurmountable. It’s the clarity of vision that allows you to adapt, while still ensuring the final product remains cohesive.

How challenging is it to fund indie films?

It’s both a complex and significant challenge, especially when you're financing a period independent feature film. Filming an independent feature presents a particularly challenging experience, especially when every aspect of the production must be completed on time. This challenge intensifies when incorporating industrial work methods into a smaller-scale, independent production. Issues such as budget constraints, equipment availability, and unforeseen complications, like extended filming schedules, only add to the complexity.

In 2022, I faced these obstacles while filming “Serán Legión”, my first independent psychological horror feature set in the 1940s. The period setting presented its own set of challenges, requiring us to shoot in a real location, a house furnished with authentic, period-appropriate decor. Beyond sourcing the right costumes, we needed a talented art department to create a convincing and immersive atmosphere, all of which added pressure to our already limited budget.

Another significant challenge was managing our shooting schedule. In independent filmmaking, time is always a luxury, and we had to film multiple setups each day, often resolving complex scenes in just a few shots and takes. We had to be extremely careful with continuity between scenes while managing our time effectively on location. This was particularly challenging because we needed to film multiple scenes each day.

Creativity in cinematography became essential: making every shot as effective as possible and ensuring each scene was meticulously crafted. Each shot had to be both visually striking and narratively effective, all while staying within the constraints of time and resources. A significant part of this work took place during pre-production, especially in the rehearsal phase with the actors. These rehearsals were crucial for refining the pacing, blocking, and performances of the most complex scenes, ensuring that by the time we arrived on set, everything was in place for a smooth and efficient shooting day.

Please name three of your most favorite directors. How have they been

influential in your work?

If I had to name three of my favorite directors, they would be Stanley Kubrick, Orson Welles, and William Friedkin. There are many others I admire, such as Ingmar Bergman, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, but I always find myself returning to the works of Kubrick, Welles, and Friedkin for inspiration.

Kubrick’s films are fascinating and hypnotic to me because of the precision with which he composed his shots. This is what I find inspiring about him: every frame in his films contains essential elements that contribute to something larger, drawing you in regardless of whether you like what you're seeing. Films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and A Clockwork Orange are intentionally surreal at times, and achieving that is no easy feat. While directors like David Lynch (another source of inspiration for me) take surrealism to even greater extremes, Kubrick strikes a delicate balance between the real and the unreal. His ability to convey this

through his cinematic language is a major influence on me. Orson Welles is a director every filmmaker should study closely, as his use of camera movement and positioning revolutionized cinema. Welles gave “value” to each shot, meaning every camera placement was purposeful, designed to communicate a precise idea integral to the story. Watching his films, especially classics like Citizen Kane, Othello, The Third Man, and Touch of Evil, you come to realize that almost anything is possible within the medium of cinema. This idea has had a profound impact on my work, making me think that the camera can be placed anywhere on set, within any scene, and still serve the narrative. Like Kubrick, Welles was instrumental in defining the true difference between storytelling in cinema and other artistic forms, such as theater. His works, especially for their cinematography—from lighting and framing to camera movements—are hypnotic to me. Additionally, I draw influence from his non-linear storytelling, particularly evident in Citizen Kane. William Friedkin was a brilliant filmmaker who, as is well known, brought a documentary-style approach to mainstream cinema with films like The French Connection and The Exorcist. His technique had a profound impact on viewers.

The Exorcist is one of my favorite films, particularly for how Friedkin approached the supernatural subject matter with a documentary-like realism, which makes the experience feel even more unsettling. His influence has left a mark on my work in many ways, not only through his cinematic style and the way he told stories (leaving ambiguous endings open to the viewer's interpretation), but also in his ability to make low-budget films work. Any independent filmmaker can follow his principles and create something great: shooting on real locations and embracing a single-take technique.

Ironically, my two favorite directors have opposite working styles: Kubrick, who famously filmed on set and often did 70 or more takes, and Friedkin, who shot on real locations and typically worked with just one or two takes per shot. In my own work, I try to find a balance between their two approaches.

What is your next film project and what are you currently working on?

I am currently in the final stages of filming “Serán Legión”, a psychological horror film set in the 1940s, which will be released in two parts. The plan is to premiere it internationally by the end of next year or in early 2026. In addition to “Serán Legión”, I have several other scripts in development, including a crime thriller with elements of horror, for which I am actively seeking funding.

What was the inspiration behind your latest film project?

The inspiration for “Serán Legión” stemmed from Julio Cortázar’s short story "Casa Tomada" My aim was to create a narrative that starts with the confined, insular world of Cortázar’s tale and expands it into a feature film, introducing new characters and building an entirely new universe. At the same time, I was drawn to the idea of exploring a story centered on a dark, occult family history, focusing on the gradual disintegration of a wealthy landowning family in 1940s Argentina.

I was particularly drawn to the challenge of adapting a classic piece of Argentine literature that, while containing elements that could lend themselves to horror, is not inherently a horror story. My goal was to amplify the original narrative by introducing psychological horror elements that would transform and expand upon its core themes. In "Casa Tomada" the characters are forced to leave their home, but we never know exactly what "takes" the house from them. This absence of a clear antagonist intrigued me, and I wanted to explore a similar concept in the film, creating a sense of pervasive, unseen threat.

At the same time, films like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby had a significant influence on my approach to crafting the story of a landowning family from the 1940s, portrayed realistically, within a supernatural context. My goal was not to rely on excessive horror, but to weave a supernatural element into the narrative that feels intrinsic to the story, rather than using it merely as a tool to frighten or entertain the audience. Both films also played a key role in shaping the cinematic style I developed for both parts of “Serán Legión”.

How did you find the cast and the crew of the film?

The crew of “Serán Legión” primarily consisted of students from the Fine Arts University, as well as several of my former classmates who had already graduated from the same institution. I had previously collaborated with most of the team members on other projects, including “Dominion Evolución”. The heads of each department are individuals I trust deeply, and I have full confidence in their expertise and professionalism.

Regarding the cast, I initially reached out through social media. Emerging talents such as Valentina Cerati, Rodrigo Mauregui, and Marcelo Violláz were involved from the outset of the project. For the remaining roles, I personally recruited the cast. Rather than conducting a traditional casting process, I relied on my instincts and focused on the physical traits I sought for each character. I was fortunate that the actors I envisioned for these roles, many of whom are established professionals in Argentine cinema, television, and theater, agreed to join this

independent project. Notable names in the cast include Alexia Moyano, Patricia Palmer, Esmeralda Mitre, Atilio Veronelli, Carla Pandolfi, Gabo Correa, Marcelo Melingo, Daniel Dibiase, and Carla Quevedo.

What is the distribution plan of the film and did the film receive any screenings or was it featured in festivals?

We are currently finalizing a few scenes of “Serán Legión”, with both parts of the film scheduled for submission to festivals next year. We have established contact with several programmers from independent film festivals across the U.S. and are focused on presenting the film to as many international audiences as possible, both through festival circuits and streaming platforms. Additionally, we have been in discussions with distributors in Los Angeles who have expressed interest in both films.

Why do you make films and what kind of impact would your work have on the

world?

I write scripts and make films because I’m deeply passionate about storytelling. It offers a gateway to discovering new worlds, exploring the unknown through characters that feel authentic and alive. Filmmaking allows me to take audiences on a journey; transporting them to places they’ve never imagined, offering them new landscapes of emotion and thought. While I may never know the precise impact my films will have, I find comfort in the idea that they resonate with the world we live in, capturing moments, feelings, or truths that people can relate to. Whether reflecting the present or suggesting what lies ahead, I believe cinema is about telling stories that don’t just entertain but engage on a personal level, inviting audiences to question, reflect, and perhaps confront uncomfortable truths about the human condition.

“Dominion Evolución”, for instance, was a short film I wrote and directed long before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when I revisited it in 2020, the film seemed to eerily reflect the chaos unfolding worldwide. The story, which centers on a deadly virus and a population in lockdown, awaiting a vaccine, felt strangely prophetic. It’s not that I was trying to predict the future, but rather that the themes of isolation, fear, and uncertainty are as old as humanity itself. Films often capture the essence of our collective anxieties, sometimes even before we fully understand

them. When I saw how timely the short film had become, I realized that it wasn’t just about a virus; it was about fear, the destruction of ideals, and the fragility of control.

I’ve always been drawn to films that don’t shy away from confronting the darkest aspects of human existence. “Dominion Evolución” isn’t merely about a deadly virus; it’s about what happens when people are pushed to their limits, when everything they know begins to unravel. I’m interested in the tension between survival and surrender, in how fear distorts the way we see one another, and in how society fractures when control slips away. This isn’t a sanitized portrayal of a global crisis; it’s about chaos, ambiguity, and the uncomfortable truths we often avoid. I’m captivated by the moral complexity of our choices, by the moments when we must reckon with our own humanity, and when the stakes are higher than ever.

For me, filmmaking is a way to explore the raw, unspoken aspects of life through complex, interesting characters. I don’t make films to reassure anyone. I make them to make you think, to make you question, to make you feel the unease of what might be right in front of you, or just around the corner. I’m not interested in making films that offer easy resolutions. My stories aren’t about giving answers, they’re about creating a space where the questions are more important, where the fear is palpable, and where the uncertainty feels real. In “Dominion Evolucion”, as in all my work, I seek to capture those moments of existential crisis; the quiet, powerful moments where we must confront the unknown and, in doing so, discover something deeper about ourselves and the world around us.