Norwalk Connecticut resident Alex Morsanutto was the first assistant director of the 15 minute film, “A Lien,” which now faces hopes of winning an Academy Award.
Directed by brothers Sam and David Cutler–Kreutz, the film’s story is centered around the U.S. immigration system and its shifting policies that can tear families apart. It follows the Gomez family, Oscar (William Martinez), his wife Sophia (Victoria Ratermanis) and their daughter Nina (Koralyn Rivera) dealing with the immigration process. In the film, Oscar goes through the process of interviewing for a green card to allow him to stay in the United States. In January, the film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film, alongside four other films in the category.
From New York based media company The Cinema Group, Jonathan P. Moustakas said the film was “one of the most vital and affecting nominees in the live-action short category.”
“It is not merely a film to be watched—it is a film to be felt, to be sat with, to be grappled with. In a year where conversations around identity, displacement and systemic power have never been more urgent, A Lien is both a warning and a plea: to recognize the humanity behind every case number, and to understand that the greatest cruelty of bureaucracy is not in its rules, but in its refusal to see the people it governs,” Moustakas said.
Morsanutto had worked with the Cutler-Kreutz brothers previously on other short films such as the thriller movie, “Trapped,” that won a South by Southwest (SXSW) Special Jury Award last year. This time, with Morsanutto working as the first assistant director on their film, “A Lien” is both Morsanutto and the Cutler-Kreutz brothers first work to be Academy Award nominated.
“The nomination means a lot,” said Morsanutto. “I’ve been working with one of the directors, Sam, for almost 15 years and we’ve been working our butts off. Commercials, films, we’ve shot all around the world, literally hustling for a big break.” Morsanutto also spoke about the hard work the directors, cast and crew put into the film, and how the hard work paid off in the end.
“I know it’s cliche but it really is about putting in the work and showing up and putting passion into everything you do, because it does pay off,” he said.
As first assistant director on the film, Morsanutto said his role “assisted the directors in making sure their vision comes alive,” and acting as the “right hand man to the director.”
“I created a shot list that I implemented on set and made sure we had the time to do every shot they planned. I’m working with the crew simultaneously to keep everything turning, to keep the production moving, and to make sure we can make our days, because on film sets you have limited time with actors, crew and locations, so time is of the essence,” he said. “I’m always making sure that the cameras are always rolling because if the camera isn’t rolling, we are losing money.”
The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and the show will be broadcasted live on ABC and Hulu at 7 p.m.
