-Some filmmakers fictionalize their lives.

Others engage in essay films and talk about their experiences as we look at footage.

David Tembleque relies on visuals with strong composition

and use of natural light.

He then adds a woman performing a break up on a phone message.

Is a it fiction? Is it real? It’s real.

 

“Dear Tom was a real love story that I lived with someone some time ago,” Tembleque says on his site.

He dated her for several months and he filmed some of their private moments together.

But then it was suddenly over.

“One day I woke up and she was gone, leaving a goodbye voice message on my phone.

What you see is our real story,” he adds.-

And the woman reading the break-up letter? It’s the Ex.

“The girl in the film and the narrator is herself.

There are no actors, no budget, and no lightning.

It was filmed with a camera of the size of a hand and a lot of love.”

 

The film he earned awards and screened around the world,

from New York to Paris, from Istanbul, Turkey to Orlando, Florida.

For a film with no budget, Tembleque learned an early lesson in filmmaking

—the story (along with some good-looking shots) is the most important element.

The themes of lost love are universal and resonates with audiences.