Born in Mexico and based in New York, Cristobal Abugaber began his career in the early teens by making commercials, before treading firmly on fiction territory. He has since directed four short films: A Step Behind (2018), Legacy (2020), The Golden Watch (2021) and The Perfect Tomato (2025), which premiered at the Guanajuato International Film Festival. This writer described his latest work as “an eloquent short film about the real priorities of life”.

Cristobal is currently developing his first feature film.

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Victoria Luxford – What inspired you to make The Perfect Tomato?

Cristobal Abugaber – One day in New York, I stopped by a fruit cart on the street and noticed that the cherry tomatoes they were selling came from my hometown in Mexico. I later found out they were actually harvested by a friend of mine. I was fascinated by the idea that these tomatoes were connecting two completely different worlds.

The next time I visited Mexico, I went to my friend’s farm and spoke with the workers about their lives and aspirations. That’s when I knew I had to tell this story.

VL – Was the film always intended to be this length, or was a feature version considered at one point?

CA – It was always meant to be a short film. However, the original concept followed Nacho harvesting tomatoes and then tracked the journey of those tomatoes all the way to New York. There, a highly successful orchestra violinist in his 60s buys them, and the story shifted to his perspective.

It was a beautiful idea, but it became too long and complex for a short format. So I decided to focus entirely on Nacho and dig deeper into his world. That’s when the story really came to life.

VL – There is a very authentic-feeling bond between the cast. How difficult was it finding the right actors for these roles?

CA – I was extremely lucky with casting. From the moment I started writing Nacho, I had Eligio Meléndez in mind. A director friend put me in touch with him, and we ended up talking on the phone for hours. Right away, he was very open to collaborating, so I sent him the script. After reading it, he called me and said, “You know, I have a daughter (María Meléndez) who’s a producer and wants to get into acting- she’s the same age as Elena. And I also have a niece (Marí­a Fernanda Ayala) who’s almost like a granddaughter to me, loves acting, and is the same age as María.” I couldn’t believe it. It felt too good to be true. So, I reached out to them, and- well- the rest is history.

VL – Were the scenes where Nacho is working filmed at a real farm? If so, was it difficult to find one willing to let you film on their land?

CA – Yes, we filmed those scenes on a real tomato farm, and all the extras are actual farmers working during their shift. It wasn’t difficult to get permission because the farm is owned by a friend of mine. Even before I started writing the script, I asked if I could use the location, and he was immediately supportive.

VL – You mention a tight budget. How do you balance the need for economy without sacrificing quality?

CA – A well-crafted shooting schedule and finding the right locations were key. We didn’t spend anything on locations because they were owned by people I knew, and they were generous enough to let us use them.

From there, it was about assembling the right cast and crew and making sure everyone felt as invested in the project as I was. Collaborating with my close friend and DP, Brendan, was essential. We chose a low-light sensitive camera that allowed us to shoot the night scenes with minimal lighting equipment, which not only gave us the look we wanted but also helped us save money.

VL – I found the film incredibly beautiful to look at. Can you discuss your collaboration with Brendan Sweeney on achieving that aesthetic?

CA – Brendan and I worked very closely to define how we wanted the film to look and feel, and we did a lot of planning early on. We knew that the locations would play a major role in shaping the visual language, so a big part of the process was finding the right places first.

Once we had our locations, we did a tech scout with the art team to determine the best areas of the house for key scenes, the ideal time of day for shooting, and how natural light could be used to our advantage.

And of course, as always happens, once we were on set, Brendan’s incredible eye led to unexpected visual opportunities that elevated the film even further. His instinct and sensitivity were essential to the film’s aesthetic.

VL – It’s almost a trope in American cinema that Mexico can be portrayed in an unflattering manner. Is it frustrating as a Mexican filmmaker to see large productions offering this portrayal?

CA – A little bit, yes. It can be frustrating to see Mexico repeatedly portrayed through a narrow or negative lens. But I also see it as an opportunity — a chance for us, as Mexican filmmakers, to show a different side of Mexico, one that international audiences rarely get to see. Through our own stories, we can offer a more nuanced, personal, and authentic perspective.

VL – Have you screened the film to any farmers, and if so how did they react?

CA – I haven’t had the chance to screen it for the farmers yet. My friend, who owns the farm, told me he plans to show it to all the workers, but it hasn’t happened just yet. I’m really looking forward to hearing their thoughts once they see it.

VL – What would you hope people in general will take away from seeing your work?

CA – I hope people can take away something meaningful – a message, a feeling, or even a small moment of inspiration that positively influences their lives, even if it’s in a subtle or quiet way.

VL – Finally, do you have any future projects you’re working on?

CA – Yes! I’m currently working on my thesis short film, Faint Memories, which I’ll be shooting this fall. It’s an ambitious sci-fi drama – very different from anything I’ve written or directed before, which makes it especially exciting.

I’m also developing The Way Home, a feature film dramedy about a priest who gets a chance to reconnect with his estranged, free-spirited younger brother after spending 40 years in the seminary. I’m currently revising the latest draft and working on a new version.

Even though these stories might seem very different from The Perfect Tomato, at their core, they all explore similar themes: people searching for meaning while navigating complex family dynamics.

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Cristobal Abugaber is pictured at the top of this interview. The other image is a still from The Perfect Tomato.