Camping Trip, the first English feature film from sibling duo Leonardo and Demian Fuica, is a classic slasher modernised by its study of COVID-19 and the impact it had across society.
Filmed entirely during lockdown in August 2020, Camping Trip explores how COVID-19 impacted relationships, exposed societal greed, and changed the criminal underworld. The bleak storyline offers a word of caution to viewers, suggesting that tragedy will ensue if society continues to behave selfishly.
The Indiependent spoke to Leonardo Fuica, writer, co-producer and co-director of Camping Trip. He also stars as one of the film’s four main characters, Enzo. Camping Trip also features Caitlin Cameron as Polly, Alex Gravenstein as Ace, and Hannah Forest Briand as Coco.
The Indiependent: You produce and direct Camping Trip with your brother, Demian. What’s it like working with your brother?
Leonardo Fuica: My brother and I direct and produce the film, while one of my sisters is the lead make up artist. My other sister worked on production design and special effects, and my daughter worked as a script supervisor.
There are bugs here and there but overall, working with my family is fun. We have better creative discussions and we’re always asking “how can we do it better?” I think it’s easier to have constructive and direct conversations with your family. We’re all on the same page and we have the trust that you need to make movies. Camping Trip is actually our first English movie—previously we did mostly French projects.
You mention your previous projects. Like Camping Trip, they’re both of the horror/thriller genre. What draws you to this type of film?
Yeah, La Run is a thriller about the drug world and how it works in Canada. We had a good run at the Montreal film festivals. For L’Energie Sombre P=WP, I was inspired by one of my friend’s fathers, who worked in the police. He let me look at his cases, and I found a mystery I wanted to write. Then we shot it in a real haunted location.
Horror movies are good because you don’t need a massive budget. You can make something really scary, like The Blair Witch Project, which looks like it was shot by an amateur, and it doesn’t cost too much. When I’m writing scripts I always have to think about my budget. If I have £20,000, I’m not going to write a project of £2 million.
Camping Trip was filmed in Canada, but you flew one actress from England and one actor from the US. What was your casting process like?
I first met Caitlin, who plays Polly, in Los Angeles in 2013. We were doing some acting classes and I thought she was very talented. We kept in touch, and when I wrote Camping Trip I asked her to get involved. It was hard flying her out to Canada because we were shooting during the first lockdown. Thankfully, we secured her visa (at the last second!) and she managed to fly over.
For the rest of the cast I worked with my casting director, Ginette D’Amico, and we found a wonderful cast together. I think what really helped was the fact that, in line with Covid restrictions, all of the cast had to isolate together in one house during filming. We really bonded during those weeks, and I think it shows in the film.
What was the biggest pandemic-related challenge you faced?
The casting process was much harder. We needed backups in case anybody got Covid and couldn’t make the shoot. We had one actress to play Coco but unfortunately she got Covid, so we had to bring a replacement in. Following all of the Covid guidelines was also really hard. When I think about it today, I realise we pulled off something really incredible. We didn’t have a single Covid outbreak during the shoot.
I think that filming during the actual pandemic allowed you to authentically capture that moment in time in a way which wouldn’t be the same if you filmed it after the fact. Is that why you faced the challenge of filming during the lockdown?
Exactly. Until 12 March 2020 I was in California working on a project about Paul River Williams. It got pulled when lockdown hit. I remember going to Trader Joe’s and seeing fights for carts, empty shelves and no toilet paper. People were stockpiling, out for themselves. I wanted to make a project based on the greed that I saw at the start of the pandemic. I also did a lot of research into the impact of Covid on relationships, as well as reading about how the criminal underworld adapted to lockdown life. I put all of these influences into the movie, writing and filming whilst history was being made.
You drafted the script for Camping Trip in only three weeks. What was your writing process like?
I wrote two scripts in those three weeks. I really love writing. I would say its like a wave; you have to surf the wave when you’re on it, because you lose the chance when it falls. When you have inspiration you have to write, because you might not have it again for a while. The most important thing is to make your skeleton, then you can add to it. I also think I wrote the script so quickly because I had nothing else do to—everything was closed. It was the perfect time to write.
How long did it take to shoot Camping Trip?
Originally, we had 17 days. We lost three due to bad weather plus an extra day because we were shooting a scene that looked so real that the neighbouring campers called the police and we had to pause filming! So, in the end we had a little less than two weeks.
As well as writing, directing and producing, you also portrayed Enzo, one of the film’s main characters. How did you balance all of your roles?
That’s where my brother comes in. We make a good duo. Demian is very technical. Before we shoot, we talk about our plans together, I tell him what I want and he’ll tell me if its plausible. I like acting in my own films because I love acting—I’ve been acting professionally since I was 12. It also helps me to save money. In the future I think I’ll continue to act in my films, but only when I’m the right fit for a character.
I noticed that some of Enzo’s character and backstory mirrors your own. How much is Enzo influenced by yourself and your own personality?
I try to put a little bit of myself into all of my projects. That’s what’s cool about making movies and building characters, putting a little bit of you in there. Like when Enzo talks about vacationing at the lake, that’s a real location, where I used to vacation with my parents. It doesn’t mean Enzo is me, but I did certainly draw some influences from myself.
You said you wrote two scripts during lockdown. Will we be seeing your second script anywhere?
Yes, it’s in preparation. I think it’s very promising. We also have three other projects under development, including an action short that we’re bringing to festivals. My aim is to make movies that make you think even after you’ve left the theatre.
Camping Trip is available on digital download from 16 August.
Words by Verity Alice Cartwright
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