From being essentially imprisoned in a tiny apartment on the Lower East Side of New York City to being the toast of film festivals and the subject of an episode of ABC’s “20/20,” things have turned out well for the Angulo Brothers. Recently, Vice teamed up with the brothers to create a short film utilizing the talents they demonstrated in Crystal Moselle’s claustrophobically intimate and tender documentary “The Wolfpack” —read our Sundance review here— but this time they’re not recreating one of their favorite movies.
Directed by Mukunda Angulo —though he’s not the oldest brother, he frequently functions as the leader— the short, titled “Mirror Heart,” runs just over six minutes and plays as a David Lynch movie by way of Michel Gondry’s DIY sensibility, centering on “a cast of dreamlike characters who unify around the necessity to create.” The film plays in the same wheelhouse as the short shown during the end credits of “The Wolfpack.” If "Mirror Heart" doesn’t contain enough Wolfpack action for you, Vice has also released a look at the making of the short film. Ironically, the behind-the-scenes look lasts longer than the actual film, providing more screen time with the brothers beyond what is in Moselle’s documentary.
About that “20/20” episode: the entire show was devoted to the Angulos, filling the gaps in the documentary as well as elaborating on the fates of the brothers as shown in the final few minutes of Moselle’s film. You can even see the brothers meeting a cinematic hero of theirs, but we’ll keep it a secret for you to find out for yourself. “The Wolfpack” is currently in limited release with the release expanding over the coming weeks, starting this weekend. In the meantime you can watch the “20/20” episode below as well as the Vice short, “Mirror Heart.”
Listen to a 25 minute conversation with the director and kids from "The Wolfpack."