The Myth of More: Hyper Productivity, Performance, and the Price We Pay
(4 minutes reading time)
It’s hard to stay positive these days, isn’t it? I used to think it was just me, but recently, Jaime and I began a heartfelt project with director and screenwriter Amanda Lundquist to reflect on our community and the people around us, and I’ve come to realize this feeling runs much deeper and broader than I expected.
It’s still a baby project (too early to share all the details), but we’re genuinely excited to create something personal, touching, and meaningful. As we listen to the people who’ve participated so far, a common thread emerges: a quiet, collective despair, a sense of uncertainty I haven’t encountered before.
From the chaos of global conflicts and senseless violence, to the erosion of rights and freedoms in the U.S., not to mention the fragile state of the film industry. Everything feels increasingly volatile and uncertain. But, alas, we must keep pushing, surviving, and creating.
And that’s what I really wanted to talk about, this relentless modern era we live in, where we’re expected to keep pushing and grinding until we’re all teetering on the edge of burnout. Have you seen that viral video of the fitness influencer who wakes up at 4 a.m. and follows some over-the-top routine? I encourage you to watch it if you want to get a good laugh; there are hundreds of memes and parodies floating around on social media.
Society keeps pushing this narrative: wake up before dawn, hit the gym, maximize every second of your day, constantly self-optimize: be more productive, stronger, richer, better. But here’s the real question: Are you actually better because of it? More importantly, are you any happier?
Back in March, we had the opportunity to work on the New York production of Gala Hernández‘s latest documentary. Her César-winning short film La Mécanique des fluides dives into the world of the manosphere, while her newest short, +10K, which just premiered at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes in Cannes, explores the cult-like culture surrounding Bitcoin bros. She’s been exploring precisely some of the topics resonating heavily on my mind, so it was an absolute pleasure collaborating with her. On her new film, she explores our deep-rooted human desire to control our dreams, an ambitious and fascinating theme. Gala is a rising director with a sharp vision and a strong voice, I highly recommend you keep an eye on her work.
Lately, I’ve been having conversations with friends and colleagues about this strange time where self-promotion seems more valued than the work itself. Being your own salesperson, crafting your brand, and constantly marketing yourself often appear to outweigh the actual substance of what you do and who you are, it’s insane… I’ve always believed in the power of doing your job well and letting the work speak for itself. That’s why I’ve never been a fan of the fake it till you make it motto; it’s always struck me as a Trump-esque mantra, all flash and no foundation. It prioritizes appearance over authenticity, selling an image over delivering something real, and places more value on your network than on the work itself.
Now, rant over, friends. And yes, I am not lost on the irony of delivering this in newsletter form.
Because on a more hopeful note, the film industry seems to be stirring into action despite reaching a point of deep desperation. While I’m not talking about Trump’s absurd tariffs on foreign films or Jon Voight’s latest delusions, there are promising signs. New York has signed an great package of tax incentives and serious proposals are on the table for California. Real policy shifts that could bring meaningful support to filmmakers.
Ideally, this will lead to a resurgence in domestic productions across the U.S. We’re currently seeking new partnerships and projects for our 2025 slate. Whether you’re in New York, LA, or anywhere across the globe, if you’re looking for a creative-minded production partner with a strong production hand that cares about getting the job done instead of talking about it without delivering, we’d love to hear from you.
Thanks for being on the other end of this message, reading, reflecting, and engaging with our thoughts.
— Carmen Simón Rubio —
Recommendations:
To watch: Friendship (One of the funniest comedy films in a very long time)
Overrated: Mufasa (We love Barry Jenkins but the Disneyfication is too heavy)
For your ears: Artemis: Tiny Desk Concert
Visit us at:
instagram: @afilmsusa
Read in Substack: @afilmsusa
Incentives to film in Spain
Some good news to share from the film industry in Spain. As the pandemic slows down with the numbers of the infection cases in steady decline, the country is preparing to open for business in successive stages while the film industry warms up to get back to the set.
As we mentioned previously, the Spanish government already announced that starting on May 11th, the film productions can go back in action in certain places with minimum risk. Yesterday, the government also approved the improvement of tax incentives for production and post-production in Spain to incentivize the film industry and make it more attractive to international productions and co-productions. As a highlight:
- the Tax Rebate is raised from 20% to 30% applicable to the first million of Euros and 25% for the expenses above this mark.
- to qualify for these deductions, foreign productions must invest at least 1million€ on production or 200,000€ on pre- and post-production.
- the maximum return is raised up to 10million€.
As for the safety and security on-set, the Spain Film Commission, together with other institutions and professional associations, is working on protocols to follow with a manual of good practice to protect the industry workers.
As A FILMS team, we would like to thank the Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte, Instituto de la Cinematografía y las Artes Audiovisuales, Spain Film Commission, Sr. James Costos (Honorary Ambassador of SFC) and everyone else involved in the process to make these measurements possible and provide us with safe spaces to work.
If you consider filming in Spain and want to know more, feel free to contact us at info@afilms.net.