The chemistry started as co-workers. They realized that They were a good team and they shared the same passion doing computer visual effects.
Time made them fall in love. Today, Florencia Lemoine and Gonzalo Gutiérrez are an all-terrain duo. They have been a couple for 11 yearsare parents of Dante, 3 years old, and are also the creators of Giantsan animated film that is a success in Germany, France and even Latvia.
On August 8 it will hit theaters in Argentina. The movie, which she produces and he directs, has nothing to envy of any of the animated tanks abroad.
It won Best Animated Film at Vancouver (International Movie Awards); Best animated film and best sound in Children Cinema Award, from the Netherlands; is selected for best film at the international festival of Cinhe from Beijing, China; and in competition at festivals in the United States, Portugal and Bulgaria. In addition, it was dubbed in 20 languages.
Florencia and Gonzalo have their operations center in a beautiful building in San Telmo. They live on the second floor, and on the third floor, they set up GF films, their production company. There they welcome us with coffee, pastries and a joy that fills them.
It’s just that there were many years of putting the body to Giants. Sleepless nights, trips, fights with the Germans, who are co-producers, confrontations in the assembly, search for money… They describe it as a true feat. And the beautiful thing is that beyond the attacks, unforeseen events or conflicts, the couple remained united and strong, in both aspects.
Who is who
Florencia is from Quilmes and has been in the business for 20 years. She has a degree in Communication and studied at the National University of Quilmes. Gonzalo grew up in the Bajo Flores neighborhood and studied Image and Sound at the UBA. But in visual effects he is self-taught and has already been working on it for 25 years.
They worked together in different agencies for five years as co-workers. Once as a couple, they realized that they were up for more. “It was a journey in which we learned, At first we spent our time providing services to large chains and advertising agencies.”says Florencia.
I told him we couldn’t be friends anymore. She resisted. She told me I was wrong. I rowed it a lot.
It refers to making a dragon for FOX or special ships for another production company. To which Gonzalo adds: “We saw that we made a good team. We really liked working together. We were very efficient. That’s why we created the production company: to show that we could make Hollywood level products. So we made a trailer for a supposed movie, Underland, and it went super well for us. It had an impact all over the world. “They called me from Los Angeles to represent me.”
That trailer changed their lives a little and was a great introduction to the world. “We traveled to Los Angeles. It was very dizzying. And what helped us the most was understanding how the world of movies works; understand how they are pre-sold and how they are financed. We sat down with Marvel, with Ridley Scott, with Amazon. We had a meeting every half hour. And the best thing we achieved was to enthuse Carlos Rotkin, screenwriter of Río 2 to write the script Giants”Gonzalo emphasizes.
To which his wife adds: “We had made a teaser short and we traveled to Cannes, to the French market, with the expectation of seeking financing and partners. Because making an animated film is very expensive. There was interest in ours, but it’s difficult. We had about 60 meetings. And thanks to having the screenwriter of Río 2, we convinced the German partners. It was a long road, like a puzzle. The animated film has many stages that later come together.. “It took many years to find a way around it.”
-Whose idea was the movie?
-Gonzalo: From Pablo Biondi, my best friend. For me the topic of friendship is very important. Much more so at this time we are living in, where individualism prevails a bit. The idea was to give a message of brotherly love to the boys, of risking it for the other, of the group, of the neighborhood club. For me that is fundamental.
-Florencia: And there is a very strong analogy between the story of the film, which is like an epic that goes against the windmills, and the way we produced this. It was putting the body into it and putting effort into it.
-Let’s talk about love, who gave the first touch?
-Gonzalo: Me. I told him we couldn’t be friends anymore. She resisted. She told me I was wrong. I rowed it a lot (Laughter).
– Florencia: It’s just that I was in another one. She traveled alone all the time. He already had two children. I had gone out with another producer in the middle… It was all kind of mixed up (she turns red). Well, I went to work outside and when I came back it happened.
– Gonzalo: When Flor goes to Mexico we start to have a more everyday virtual relationship. We had dinner together every night. And when Flor returned, we got together. We came to live together. That was in 2015. And the following year we created GF films, our production company.
-How do you combine work with life?
-Gonzalo: We had a great time together. We had fun. There is a lot of complicity between us. We are very companions. We understand if one has to correct things until dawn. I have managed to correct 300 shots per day. And in the same way we really enjoy family moments.
The baby’s first month was strong. First time… And on a couple level I feel like we signed a new contract again.
-Florencia: It seems to me that the film would not exist if we were not a couple and the couple would not exist if the projects were not there. Because this type of feat requires a lot of understanding. The baby cries (Dante, the son they had together) and one goes and the other stays at the computer or the other way around. It has been ten years of supporting this project, bad things in the middle, a co-producer falling. But there was always one of the two to bank. One stronger than the other. We release the fury outside. We are not into fighting.
– And in the middle there was another real birth. They had a baby, what was she like?
– Florence: Dante was a much sought after baby. I found out she was pregnant in October 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. So due to the situation we were able to stop the pace of work a little. Although I admit that I entered the delivery room talking on the cell phone with sound engineers. They will say: ‘She is crazy’. There is a thing about enjoyment that mixes between work and life, which for me is great. I had a substitute and I was able to spend the first three months with Dante. I breastfed him for two and a half years. Maybe I also went to the production company (Laughter).
-And did anything change in the couple?
-Gonzalo: It changed us. She, who had super positive energy all the time, was a different person. The postpartum period is difficult in itself.
-Florencia: The first month for me was very strong. First time, and everything new. And on a couple level I feel that we signed a new love contract again. Some things had to be adjusted but we rearranged ourselves. Now it works great.
-What dream do you have about Giants?
-Gonzalo: May it go well, may it have impact and recognition. Because for me the most important thing is to show Argentine talent. There are artists, cartoonists, animators, photography people, all of that is Argentine talent that is seen all over the world. And if it goes well it will be the beginning of a path; It will be to set a precedent and there will be a next one. Add larger partners. And there is a science fiction project that we are finishing post-production to release next year. And film another movie.
-Florencia: Yes, the science fiction one has a mix with psychological thriller. As you will see, we don’t stop and we are more together than ever.
