The Brazilian filmmaker Fernanda Schein32, is one of the names behind the documentary “The Case of the Menendez Brothers”which debuted on Netflix in October. The production arrived in the streaming catalog after the success of the true crime series “Monsters: Menendez Brothers: Killers of Their Parents”, created by Ryan Murphy.
In an exclusive conversation with CNNthe professional, who was part of the editing team for the documentary work, detailed the process of revisiting the plot.
According to her, even before the production gained the spotlight and the presence of the brothers, convicted in 1996 for the murder of their parents, José and Kitty, the case did not go beyond the United States – which is why she was chosen for the work.
“Although it wasn’t a very well-known story in California, it was something very particular here, so I didn’t know it and it was an intentional approach to the production, just like the brilliant Argentine director Alejandro Hartmann”, he says.
“They would like the series to be told from a non-American perspective, because it was something saturated from their perspective,” he adds.
The success of “The Case of the Menendez Brothers”
Schein also mentions that the awakening to the case came from the changes in society. According to the testimonies, the accused suffered and, therefore, planned the murder.
“I believe that part of the project’s success is because it sparks discussion regarding how each person would react to sexual abuse, which is now being proven and, at the time, was not considered,” he states. “That was the most interesting part of participating, editing a story that could have an impact on the future”, he says.
Fernanda believes that the sentence should be reviewed. “They have to pay for their crime. However, not with life imprisonment, as is currently the case. They did not consider that the crime was premeditated as a result of a series of abuses that led them to believe they were under threat. We have evolved as a society and this must be reviewed”, he concludes.
“I saw so much purpose in the story”, says Brazilian filmmaker
It was the first documentary of its kind in Schein’s career, who said he developed strategies to avoid being psychologically shaken by the story.
“When I started, I was a little anxious, because I’m an impressed person. But I saw so much purpose in the storywhich I wanted to do. At first, it moves us a lot, but then we become a little desensitized to the physical material in front of us”, he recalls.
Fernanda used to think about her own father – who is a doctor – to keep her cool. “The first time a doctor sees someone hurt or in a lot of pain, they must focus a lot on their emotions, but as they become more professional, they separate this emotion to use 100% of their intellect and help the patient.”
In addition to the documentary, 2024 stands out as a positive year for the filmmaker who also collaborated on “Poisoned”, which won a . “It was a very good surprise. It was a smaller team, a controlled budget, so it was really cool to see what you can achieve even without so many resources.”
Among the short films, the Brazilian also collects awards and has just debuted “Stairway of Love”no Brazilian Film Festival in Los Angeles (LABRFF). The project, filmed in Rio de Janeiro, is expected to arrive in Brazil soon. The publisher is also in the short “Caviar Star”a psychological thriller about the art industry starring Alice Marcone, with no release date yet.
