How The ‘Los Frikis’ Directors Injected Dark Humor, History, and HIV into Their Film

In this episode of No Film School, Jason Hellerman interviews Tyler Nielsen and Michael Schwartz, the dynamic directing duo behind the bold and provocative film Los Frikis. Known for their previous success with Peanut Butter Falcon, Tyler and Michael take listeners on a journey into the making of their latest project—a darkly comedic and deeply human tale about the Los Frikis generation in 1990s Cuba. The film explores themes of rebellion, freedom, and survival, centering on punks who willfully injected HIV to escape oppression.

In this episode, No Film School’s Jason Hellerman, Tyler Nielsen, and Michael Schwartz discuss:

• How Tyler and Michael transitioned from Peanut Butter Falcon to Los Frikis
• The challenge of balancing dark humor with historical and cultural authenticity
• Why the directors learned Spanish to ensure authenticity in directing Cuban actors
• Their approach to punk rock aesthetics, both musically and visually, in the film
• Practical advice for filmmakers tackling deeply unconventional and emotional stories

Memorable Quotes:

• “Punk rock is choosing freedom and choosing, like, your reality, regardless of the authorities or the powers that be.”
• “If you task the audience with remembering 10 things, they might remember the wrong five. So we focused on the five things that mattered most.”
• “We really just try to set a vibe. The vibe matches the story. And then we invite people to bring themselves to it.”

Resources:

• Microbudget Workshop with GG Hawkins
• Tyler Nielsen IMDb
• Michael Schwartz IMDb

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