Mexican writer-director Michel Franco’s restrained drama, Chronic, explores end-of-life care with hard truths and brutal morality.

The film stars Tim Roth as David, a caregiver who looks after three terminally-ill patients in their last days. And as he does so, in many ways David becomes closer to them than their own families are.

Franco spoke with Creative Screenwriting about the real-life inspiration behind his latest film, shooting without manipulating the audience, and the importance of knowing where your story is headed.

Can you share a little about your background and what led you into filmmaking and screenwriting?

Curiosity! When I was 15, I started discovering some key films that displayed the power of cinema, and its ability to express different ideas. That made me want to make short films –  I wasn’t sure if I could make features at first.

When I was 27 or 28, I made my first film (Daniel and Ana), and I never wanted to stop. It’s a great way to express personal things, a great way of showing who I am and why things are the way that they are.

The material for Chronic is very intimate. How did you come up with the idea to tell this story?

The idea came to me in 2010 when my grandmother fell sick and became paralyzed. Like John in the film, she suffered a stroke. She had to totally depend on the nurses and I started to realize how difficult the life of a nurse must be.

I was curious about these care nurses, why they would choose that kind of life and how they could cope with that kind of work.

What research was involved for this film?

Those long visits with my grandmother turned out to be research. I also started speaking with different nurses in the States, because I had familiarize myself with US care nurses.

I needed to see if there were any differences. And the personal manner in which the work affects nurses is the same, but there are some dynamics that are different. So there are aspects within the movie that will comment on society, even if that is not my goal, because it expresses the way things work, from my point of view.

Tim [Roth] also started to conduct research, and he would call me almost every day to tell me about his experiences with patients. A lot of those ended up in the script.

So, did you write the role with Tim Roth in mind?

Yes. I had some ideas written down, but not nearly a full script. I met Tim at Cannes where I had won the award for After Lucia. He asked me what my next movie was going to be and I told him the rough idea about the nurse, and he said that he would like to play him.

The film has very little exposition. Can you elaborate a little on your style?

I was looking for a way to shoot the movie where I was not manipulating the audience in the classic way. I like to give the audience room to reach their own conclusions. That is why there is no music and very little camera movement within wide shots.

Almost every scene was shot in one take, and it’s also a way to look for the purest form to analyze these big questions, such as the meaning of life.

And did you come to any of your own conclusions about end-of-life care?

I think it can be done in a less painful way. It’s OK to think about it and to talk about it. It shouldn’t be something taboo. It shouldn’t be something that we are constantly avoiding.

We need to acknowledge that we are all headed there.

It almost takes an outsider to give that level of care. For Tim Roth’s character David, does he give as much as need?

It was important for me to show that these caregivers are not angels. They are not Mother Teresa. They do it because they get something out of it. They need it.

They usually have personal, painful stories. Like David, who had a tough background.

Did you know David’s background from the beginning, or did you discover it during the writing?

It was during the writing, but I had been thinking about it before then.

When I write a screenplay, I will think about ideas for two or three years, but I won’t write anything until I know exactly what I’m going to write. You have to really think about the material before you can start writing.

There are some lighter moments in the film between David and his patient, John. How important are these comical moments within a film with such an intense subject matter and level of depth?

It’s very important from a cinematic point of view for the audience to take a break here and there. It’s also important to think that it’s not all dark and terrible. Even in terrible situations, people need these moments. That is how they can stand these terrible moments. It’s not just about the technicalities of caregiving—they get involved in a very personal way.

What cinematic influences have shaped your style?

There is an American film called Afterschool that I do like a lot. I have been compared to the director  Michel Haneke (The White Room, Amour). This is my fourth film and I was trying to let it be the way that it has to be, given the fact that I had done three movies before. I did what was required.

You have said that these characters will stay with you for years. What is your actual time frame to write a film like this?

It takes me about a year, but I’m not writing every day. It’s like two months, then I let it rest, then I may write for another month or six weeks.

Do you have any specific writing rituals?

I try to work with the discipline of an athlete. I stop drinking and I start lifting. I try not to get involved with any other type of business. Even if I’m not in front of the computer, I am thinking about the story. I always write in the morning. I never write at night.

Have your methods of filmmaking or storytelling changed over the years?

I never tell too much about the way I work…What I’m trying to say is, I want to keep making different films. I don’t want to be limited by saying, “This is the way I work.” I think that will affect the results.

I think every movie requires a different storyteller.

Is there any advice that you wish you had known before your first film?

My first film was the only one that I didn’t produce with my own production company, so it was kind of a mess. The strength to be the writer, producer and director gives me freedom.

With my first film, I had to adapt to the traditional way of working, and struggle with the heavy elements and try to manage a huge crew. Now, I work with the actors and the cinematography and I don’t care about the rest. I shoot chronologically and I may do reshoots without having an additional budget. I found that to be the best way of producing.

Do you also write the story chronologically?

I never sit down and write before I know the end of the story. That doesn’t mean it won’t change, but I know the ending when I sit down to write.

So you always knew the ending for Chronic?

Yes. It’s very important to know where it’s headed.

What do you find to be the most difficult step when writing?

The discipline, and then the full understanding of the material. But that’s part of the long process, such as the year that I’m thinking about it before writing.

Every new draft should be a step forward. If you write ten different versions of a film, you will start to get confused about which version is the best. It’s important to have a clear idea, and in this case, Tim was very helpful with the collaboration.

Do you have any other advice for upcoming writers?

The worst thing is when someone pitches you a film that they want to write and they tell you that it’s going to be a mix of this film and that film, or just the fact that they are following the exact format. It’s ridiculous to make the same film over and over. Go within to find something original.

What filmmakers do you look up to?

I keep going back to Woody Allen. I don’t think he’s the best filmmaker to ever live, but there is no better pleasure for me than to re-watch Annie Hall or Manhattan.

Is there anything else you would like to share about the film or upcoming projects?

I actually just finished writing a pilot for a comedy, which is unusual for me. People find that hard to imagine, but I hope it works.

I hope its funny.

Featured image: Tim Roth as David and Michel Cristofer as John in Chronic  © 2015 Chronic Film LLC

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