By Lauren Granada
If you’ve ever thought of climbing a tree in the middle of a forest in Mexico to record the sound of birds chirping, talk to Sergio Diaz.
It was one of the many sounds he captured for the film “Roma.” He also captured an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Editing.
“It’s a dream. I’m so excited about this because this is my first nomination in my life, and it’s a Mexican movie – our language,” he said.
The black and white cinematography used in “Roma” heightens the intricate sounds of the car tires screeching on the pavement, the neighbor’s kids playing outside and the engine of the 1970s plane propellers that you hear throughout the movie.
But Diaz says finding the perfect sound doesn’t always come easy.
“At one point you start hearing all the Mexican vendors… you can start hearing the balloon guy, or the toy vendor, or behind us the parking of cars, this man on the right corner, and for that scene we took three days,” Diaz explained.
Mexcio is his home, so he’s familiar with its sounds. But he says it still took time and patience to get it right for the movie.
“Every single line that you see on the image we recreate on the stage- double on the stage. Every single one,” Diaz said.
And while he’s excited about the the film’s success, he’s even more optimistic about foreign films receiving their share of long overdue recognition.
“I’m pretty sure that in the future, we’re gonna see more feature language, feature films in these kinds of categories… I’m sure.”
“Roma” is nominated in ten categories, including Best Picture.