Behind the Reel: Miguel Ángel Ferrer | The Shadow of the Sun & Using Your Voice

Director and co-writer Miguel Ángel Ferrer joins The Popcorn Priest for a special Behind the Reel conversation about The Shadow of the Sun (La Sombra del Sol).

Miguel takes us back to the journey through Venezuela that inspired the film and talks about rediscovering a country filled not only with hardship, but with people who continue to find ways to survive, help one another and move forward.

We discuss why Miguel sees the movie not as a story about finding your voice, but using the voice you already have, and how that idea became the emotional foundation for brothers Leo and Alex.

Miguel also shares the remarkable story behind casting the deaf actor who plays Alex, why he was determined to find an authentic Venezuelan performer for the role, and how Alex was written as a dreamer and a brother first—not simply as “the deaf character.”

We also go behind the scenes of the film’s sound design, the way Alex experiences music through rhythm and vibration, the importance of allowing the brothers to tease and challenge each other authentically, and why music ultimately becomes a language between them.

It’s a conversation about filmmaking, Venezuela, representation, family—and having the courage to use whatever voice you’ve been given.