Próxima Parada
A universe that combines anguish, mystery, a touch of dark humour
Directed by Miguel Thomé
Words by Katie Huelin
In Próxima Parada, director Miguel Thomé, known in the creative world as MIG, guides viewers through a grainy 16 mm dreamscape, where São Paulo’s rain-slick streets become the backdrop for a surreal chase. Part music video, part road movie, this latest visual for Brazilian band Terno Rei blurs the line between sound and cinema.
MIG’s roots in music - having started out directing videos for his own band - remain the pulse of his work. Known for his rhythmic editing he seamlessly navigates performance and narrative, turning each frame into a sensorial experience. After filming across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, for companies such as Partizan, Things by People and Studioset, MIG now brings us Próxima Parada.
Próxima Parada blends road movie aesthetics with a dreamlike atmosphere. What inspired the narrative and visual tone of the film?
Honestly, what inspired us was this video of Harmony Korine saying he hates plots hahaha: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB4K_yqumwz/?igsh=MTRvczd5cXZ1ZTF6bQ==.
Jokes aside, our goal wasn’t to tell a traditional three-act story. It was more about building a world with a certain atmosphere—textured, ambiguous, and emotional. Some characters do have arcs, but the focus was always on crafting a mood rather than a narrative structure. Our main source of visual inspiration came from films of late 90’s like Trainspotting, the man without past, coffee and cigarrets, gummo and bufallo 66.
The 16mm film texture shapes the visual identity of Próxima Parada. What led you to choose this format, and how did it inform the storytelling?
The atmosphere I was envisioning just demanded it. As soon as I had a first draft of the script, I knew it had to be shot on film. 16mm gave us that imperfect, tactile texture that really helped convey the emotional world of the characters. It also changed the entire production process - someone would always point out during pre-production meetings: "Remember, we're shooting on film." There wasn’t much room for improvisation. We didn’t have that many rolls; the budget was tight. Every take had to be intentional. But that’s the beauty of it: film is generous. Even the mistakes are embraced by the celluloid (not all of them unfortunately).
You’ve got a great mix of actors and band members in the video. How did you approach directing them in a way that kept the performances cohesive yet emotionally layered?
My approach always depends on the person in front of me—whether they’re trained actors or not. It’s like a dance: you build trust so they can embody the character with confidence. Sometimes it’s as simple as giving them an action to do. In more delicate scenes, I create backstories and push them in that direction. The most delicate was the kiss in the storage room—it was the very first scene we shot. I wanted to film it later, but production-wise it wasn’t possible. Neither of them had done an intimate scene before, so we rehearsed in a private room. We started with a body scan technique to understand their comfort zones, then rehearsed the scene itself until we found the right level of intimacy. The characters aren’t supposed to be fully at ease—it’s a passionate first kiss, a bit awkward, and that tension ended up working beautifully.
Can you talk about your collaboration with Lucas Oliveira and how you worked together to craft the film’s cinematographic choices? Were there any visual references or moments you were particularly excited to bring to life?
Working with Lucas went far beyond cinematography. He dived into the project - bringing ideas, challenging scenes, and shaping the tone with me. When I sent him the first cut at 10pm, he asked for the rushes and sent back his own version at 4am hahaha I ended up using many of his editing suggestions too. Visually, we were really excited about the double dolly and zoom dolly shots during the chorus— they create a strong emotional release for the viewer. One of our favourite moments was the dolly shot of Marcela Jacobino smoking, with flares passing through the fan—it was raw and beautiful.
Your editing style often feels very rhythmic and musically intuitive. How does your background in music influence the way you cut a film like this where pacing is so crucial?
There’s a lot of trial and error involved, but I always have an edit in mind before we shoot. Especially with film, precision is crucial, though we made sure to leave some wiggle room for the edit. Cutting to music was key, but we also had to let scenes breathe to maintain a cinematic feel. Sometimes, a passing headlight would align perfectly with an instrument cue—that kind of synchronicity is magic. But yeah, sometimes you have two really strong options for a cut, and it’s painful to let one go.
“Our main source of visual inspiration came from films of late 90’s like Trainspotting, the man without past, coffee and cigarrets, gummo and bufallo 66.”
You’ve directed everything from branded content to deeply personal shorts - how does a video like Próxima Parada fit into your broader creative journey?
I approached Próxima Parada as a true passion project. The band gave me a lot of freedom to express my voice. It’s a mix of the elements that draw me in—poetic, a bit existential, with a strange sense of humour. It’s moody, but visually vibrant. It reflects the kind of emotional and aesthetic territory I want to keep exploring.
Director & Screenplay: MIG @miguelthomethome
Production Company: Seiva @seiva.tv
Executive Producer: Marcela Sutter @suttermarcela & MIG @miguelthomethome
Producer: Georgia Kirilov @Georgiakirilov
Director of Photography: Lucas Oliveira @lucasdaoliveira
Production Design: Lauren Ferreira @lauubf
Cast:
Ale Sater @ale_sater
Bruno Paschoal @sadbruno
Greg Maya @greg_maya
Luis Fernando Cardoso @loobas
Marcela Jacobina @marcelajacobina
Wagner Santos @wagnersantos_insta_novo
Denis Bispo @denisbispo.s
Daniela Aruh @danielaaruh
Maurício Casaroli @mauicasaroli
Jeff Dickingson @jeff_kent_castilho_66
Editing: MIG @miguelthomethome & Lucas Oliveira @lucasdaoliveira
Sound Design & Mix: Silvinho Erne @silvinhoerne – Da House @dahouseaudio
Color Grading: Leandro Lamezi – Cora Post Studio @leandrolamezi @corapoststudio
Still Photography: Fernanda Pompermayer @fernandapompermayer
Graphic Design: Filipe Thomé @filipethomeoliari & Fernanda Pompermayer @fernandapompermayer
Makeup & Hair / Character Styling: Vick Garaventa @vickgaraventa
Costume Designer: André Braune @andrebraune
Casting Production: Palu Bertissolli @palu___bertissolli
Concept / Creation: Lucas Stegmann @lucasblv
Post-Production Company: loquemira @loquemira – Cadu Cipolla Luca @kduluca, Silvio Mandetta @silviomandetta & Felipe Lopes @fs_lopes
1st Assistant Director: Flávia Ventura @flaviakventura
2nd Assistant Director: Beatriz Tadioto @beatriztadioto
Production Coordinator: Rafaela Muniz @rafaelanmuniz
Production Assistant: Gabriel Nascimento @featgabriel
Steadicam Operator: Marcel Yokoda @yoda.steadicam
1st AC (Assistant Camera): Nestor Grun @nestor_grun
2nd AC: Deia Kawamaki @deiakawakami
Video Assist: Hallan Lopes @l.s.hallan
Props Master: Julia Marchezi @juliamarchezi
Props Assistant: Beatriz Noronha @noronha.be
Set Dresser: Victor Hugo del Bello @victorhdelbello
Art Department Assistants: Abraão Lincoln @abraaolincoln04, Iago Mariano de Sousa @iago.ms_, Rodrigo Oliveira Santos
Partnered Props & Set Dressing Suppliers:
Acervo Maleta @acervomaleta
Yamada Acervo de Objetos @yamadaacervo
Vituzzo, Objetos de Cena @objetosdecena
Basic Props @basicprops
Projetos163 @projetos163
Drivers: Jeff @jeffmotoraobjects, Junior Vitalino, Rodinilson Moreno
Infrastructure Assistants: ED Produções e Serviços
Makeup & Hair Assistant: Marília Martins @marilia_martins_
Styling Producers: Izabella Câmara @belladants Danton Brando @dantonbrando
Wardrobe Supervisor: Cheila Rock
Key Grip: Jailson Lessa @jailsonlessa
Grip Assistant: Gustavo Lessa
Gaffer: Marcelo Melão @melao.marujo
1st Electrician: Danilo Soncela
2nd Electrician: Anderson Ferreira
3rd Electrician: Willians Barbosa dos Santos
Film Supply: Runner Filmes @runnerfilmes
Film Lab: Digital Orchard @digital_orchard
Camera Rental: Grun Cinema @gruncinema
Partnered Equipment Rentals: CineVideo @cinevideo_br, Next Move @nextmoveequipamentos, Monstercam @monstercam
Extras: Adriana Theodoro, Fran Souza, Katia Lopes, Edilson Lino, Marcos Carneiro, Lue Castro, Petty, Tchello de Oliveira, Andrés Alarcon
Music Production
Music Producer: Gustavo Schirmer @gustav.schirmer
Mixing: Nicolas Vernhes @rarebookroom_sandtosnow
Mastering: Greg Obis @guy_pidgeotto
Performed by: Terno Rei @ternorei
Written by: Ale Sater @ale_sater
Security: Grupo Pronto
Special Thanks:
Vinicius Antunes
Yuri Mira @yurimira
Fernanda Moreira @frnandomoreira
Márcia Sutter @marcia.sutter
Murillo Moura @mugri10
Shot on 16mm