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Lens/Camera Information
Lens series: Cooke Varotal/i FF
Camera: RED V-Raptor VV 8K
Format: Digital
Production information:
Director of Photography: Mihika Das
DOP instagram: @mihika
DOP website: mihikadas.com
Producers: Flora Jiang, Ayako Kurasawa
Director: Carlos Carlos jr.
Colourist: Yash Soni
IMDB: La Cumbia
Awards: Official Selection at Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival 2025
La Cumbia (SOMA) is a tragic love story between documentarian and their subject set to the background of the Muxe community in Oaxaca, Mexico.
When choosing a lens for our project, I was determined to build a zoom lens into the language of the film as I found it not only added to the messaging of the film as a love story between documentarian and subject but also knew it would prove to be an efficient piece of gear.
While testing, I was recommended the Cooke Varotal i/FF along with a handful of other zoom lenses. At first, I thought staying true to form and using lenses that have been used for documentaries prior might be one way to approach it. However, after testing the Varotal – that reasoning fell away. Immediately finding the other lenses I tested too cool and sterile in comparison.
The natural warmth of the image on the Varotal paired with minimal distortion from the modern glass through all focal lengths were superior.
The Varotal lens was a story device as the zooms in an out helped the audience fall in love and have their hearts broken.
