Resgate No.13 New Wave Cinema Award Recipient

Directed by: Mike Ale

Festival Edition: Winterfest ’26

Award Recognition: New Wave Cinema Award

Feature Type: Official Press Feature

Published by: Cinematic Luxe Indie Showcase

Publication Date: April, 2026

Feature ID: CL-PF-WF26-007

Feature Overview

Resgate No.13 presents a visually driven narrative that communicates entirely through performance, composition, and atmosphere. Focused on a stranded princess awaiting her rescue, the narrative unfolds with a quiet tension shaped by the lingering weight of what came before. This approach creates a layered experience one that feels immediate yet carries the weight of a larger unseen journey leaving room for interpretation while maintaining emotional clarity.

Cinematic Luxe Insight

Resgate No.13 thrives on restraint. Its decision to remove dialogue is not just a stylistic choice, it becomes the foundation of its identity. The film trusts its audience, allowing meaning to emerge through expression, rhythm, and visual clarity.

With a Cinematic Insights (Formerly known as Narrative Insights Review Co.) score of 8.7/10, the film demonstrates strong creative direction, visual intention, and originality, standing as a compelling example of how simplicity and experimentation can thrive within independent cinema.

Director Conversation

The following conversation is presented as part of Cinematic Luxe’s official press feature spotlight.

The Story & Creative Risk

Resgate No.13 tells a complete story without dialogue. What drew you to that creative risk, and how did it shape your directing process?

I always go way overboard with the dialogue in my films (I’ve even got a bit of a bad reputation for it, haha). So it was really a risk I wanted to take and a challenge I wanted to set for myself to make a film completely without dialogue. And I was right, because I was REALLY challenged… Telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end without a single line of text is very difficult. Luckily, I had a very expressive actress who helped me tell this story with her unique gestures and acting.

Visual Storytelling Approach

The judges highlighted how clearly the story comes across visually. What were your key storytelling rules when building a dialogue-free narrative?

First, I want to thank the jury for highlighting this! Francis Ford Coppola once said that every film should have a single word to define it. And the word I used for Rescue was “Hope.” And it was from this word that the narrative structure took shape. We need to portray this hope growing throughout the film. And because it’s a universal theme, I believe people all over the world were able to experience these feelings. And I’m grateful for that.

Performance Without Words

Princess Ara’s performance carries the film. How did you guide the actor to express emotion and intention without relying on words?

The film’s actress, Giovanna Negrelli, is also a great friend of mine and always goes along with the crazy things I write for her to do, which is a big help haha. It was a fun challenge for both of us. She plays an alien princess, so she had to act with grace and delicacy, but in a non-human way… it was tricky at first, but we eventually found our way. The key to her expression is in her eyes. Her hope and desire is to spot a spaceship in the sky, so her gaze had to be the center of her performance. And she did a wonderful job. Giovanna is out of this world.

Pacing & Rhythm

The repeated rescue attempts create a strong rhythm. How did you approach pacing to keep the narrative feeling fresh and engaging?

That was a major concern when I first started thinking about this project. It couldn’t have more scenes or it would become repetitive and redundant, and it couldn’t have fewer scenes or the idea wouldn’t come across clearly enough. I’m not sure if we hit the ideal length and number of scenes, but I’m happy with the pacing. The idea was always to make a fast-paced film of about five minutes and it needed to be dynamic, as if it were a real UFO sighting in the sky.

Blending Accessibility & Experimentation

The film feels simple on the surface but conceptually bold. How do you approach blending accessibility with experimentation?

The answer might seem simple too. I just looked at the science fiction films of the ’60s and ’70s… Films by director Ed Wood and Japanese tokusatsu were the biggest inspirations for this project. And they were masters at combining accessibility and experimentation. One of the things I really insisted on was having as many practical effects as possible. That’s why the spaceship is made of scrap metal (and you can intentionally see the wires suspending it). We lifted the princess during the levitation scene, we used perspective tricks… And I think that makes a HUGE difference in the final result. I really miss practical effects in cinema. I hope that, if it’s worth anything, Resgate will inspire someone to keep this art form alive.

Director's Quote

“Hold onto your hope, never stop looking up, and learn to accept with tenderness some of the disappointments life may bring.”

Expanding the World

The judges really responded to the film’s visual style. If you were to revisit the film, how might you build on that visual identity even further?

This movie was made with absolutely no budget, haha, so if I were to revisit it, I’d definitely want a bit more funding and maybe expand the world of Ara a bit more. I don’t see myself doing anything differently than what was done; I believe the film has a life of its own and it is what it is. But I really want to go back and tell a few more stories from this universe, maybe show the planet Nöto, maybe tell the princess’s origin story, show more ships, more costumes… The desire is always there! Who knows, maybe Rescue No. 14 will show up one day?

Production Challenges

The technical execution was praised for clarity and flow. What were your biggest production challenges in making everything read visually?

One of the biggest challenges was turning day into night. We shot this film in the midday sun, and my initial idea was for it to take place during the day, but that wouldn’t have had as much impact. It was Matheus who suggested turning day into night in post-production, which is why it’s good to have people who tell you that your ideas aren’t always that great. Another challenge was keeping the colors vibrant even in the darkness of night. Maju made an incredible pink costume, and we wanted to preserve that on screen. Thanks to Matheus’s efforts all of that was maintained, and the result turned out truly wonderful. I can say this because I wasn’t the one who did that part, so it’s not like I’m just praising myself. 

Themes & Meaning

There’s a strong sense of persistence throughout the film. What message or feeling did you want audiences to leave with?

As cliché as it may sound, it’s about never giving up. Our princess kept her hope safe, quite literally, in the box she carried under her arm. And even if all you can do is wait, hold onto your hope, never stop looking up, and learn to accept with tenderness some of the disappointments life may bring. These are very difficult things to do… but they’re things we need to do all the time, so why not do them the best way possible? Resgate also speaks a lot about belonging… Ara is waiting to leave, to go where she belongs, without realizing that she also belongs to the present, exactly where she is. Don’t live for tomorrow; there are so many beautiful things to experience while you wait for your rescue to arrive. There’s a lot of me in this film and my desire to deal with these issues better, too. So this message is just as much for me as it is for anyone else.

Looking Ahead

Winning the New Wave Cinema Award recognizes bold and inventive storytelling. How does this recognition influence your creative direction moving forward?

With the desire to make even bolder and more creative films! There’s always a huge fear that we won’t find a place for an unconventional film. So receiving such a special award is wonderful because it shows that there are many people willing to accept and love these films just as much as I do. This kind of initiative is what fuels the fire and makes me want to explore even further and see just how far my weirdness can go. I’ll carry this New Wave award with me for the rest of my life… And I thought that term was super cool too. I didn't even know I was making New Wave Cinema! Thanks for letting me know! Thanks to the jury for liking our little film so much, and thanks for this opportunity! I hope to see you all again soon! 

Judge’s Quote

“The judge appreciated the visual storytelling approach; it was unlike anything the judge had ever seen before, recognizing that the film successfully relies on imagery to communicate the narrative.”

Recognition

Resgate No.13 was honored with the New Wave Cinema Award at the Cinematic Luxe Indie Showcase Winterfest ‘26, recognizing its bold visual storytelling and commitment to creative experimentation.