Remember how excited I was about the cinematic live theatre performance happening this weekend? Well, I actually got the chance to meet both of the creative (and lovely) individuals behind it this week! The three of us – Karla Kracht, Andrés Beladiez and I – hung out at University Town just yesterday to talk about 2062; and, after settling at a relatively quiet spot near Royals Bistro (not in the café itself, because it was pretty noisy—tip for all student interviewers out there: do not attempt to conduct an interview at a café), here’s how it went…

Me: What is 2062 about?

Andrés: In 2062, we talk about our society, we talk about borders, migrations, what’s happening now, who is changing the world and how it is changing our lives.

Karla: Yes, and about the events that happen to make migration necessary for many people in this world too.

I believe the description of 2062 mentioned something about memory too. What about memory?

Andrés: Our memory is so fragile, and we always forget. And when we forget, society forgets too. Because of this, we end up making the same mistakes every time, over and over again, as though we are in a loop. Society changes, but in fact it is actually the same.

And do you think that 2062 is relevant in today’s society?

Karla: Definitely! I think what we are actually dealing with in this work, is that it’s not only today, it’s not only yesterday. As mentioned, it’s always a loop, always happening, maybe in different parts of the world. Moreover, the people who have to migrate, and the event that triggers this migration… all these change according to each context (time and place), but the notion of migration itself is always there.

Ooh, so was 2062 inspired by a specific event that happened in the world?

Karla: 2062 was inspired by the idea of migration, but it was a few months after we finished the work when the big migration crisis in Europe started. We didn’t know it was going to happen, it was really a coincidence, something nobody expected. And it made 2062 even more relevant—you talk to directors and programmers of theatres and festivals, and you realize that this work has suddenly become interesting to everyone, because it is about a current topic that everyone is talking about. Our work always centers on the now, things that are relevant, but the circumstances surrounding 2062 were unplanned.

What inspired the both of you to use so many elements (shadow play, sound, animation etc.) in your work?

Andrés: After we decide on what we want to talk about – in this case, it is about borders and migration – we just do a lot of experimenting to see which fits. If something doesn’t work, we just try something else. And if it works, we continue investigating and experimenting with it, even if we don’t know the final result.

Karla: There is a lot of trial and error involved, because we start from zero—and we start almost immediately after deciding on the topic, with drawings, texts, and combining different things. It is a slow and organic process.

Andrés: And you make so many mistakes, but it’s these mistakes that save the work, because they allow you to discover a new world and enter a new creative dimension.

Wow, you guys really experiment a lot!

Karla: Yes, we play a lot! Like the ceramic models—it just happened. I am a plastic artist myself, and I’ve never worked with three-dimensions, but it was something I’ve always wanted to try, and so I did. I started trying to make these three-dimensional objects, and then we put it in the show. We always work with objects that we make; everything in 2062, like the sounds, videos and optics, is self-made.

Is there any particular element that was hard for the both of you to incorporate into 2062?

Karla: One of the hardest elements was this small animation of the small white figure walking. It took a long time for us to decide on how we were going to use the animation within the context of 2062.

Do you have any advice for all those out there who are interested in joining this artistic field?

Andrés: Just do it, and don’t stop! In fact, be critical of your surroundings, don’t stop thinking about how they can be put in a story, and how you can change them.

Karla: Just play, just do it. And don’t give up! Remember, you can do it if you really want to. And most importantly, be honest to yourself. It is the only way you can be honest with the rest of the world, and to do what you really believe in.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?

Karla: Come and see 2062!

Andrés: Yes! We can talk about it for days, but you have to see it for yourself in real life, in order to really understand it. So come down!

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