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Blog Post #274: 'Ask Delphi' at Kendall Branch Library!
- Gabriel Rhenals
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
A screening of Gabriel Rhenals' 4th film 'Ask Delphi' took place at Kendall Branch Library on Saturday, February 28th, 2026 from 2pm to 4pm as part of Miami-Dade Public Library System's Local Filmmaker Series. Starring Florencia Barletta, Karina Cancio, Nick Rubertone and Shaun Grant. Original Music by Ben Morris.
A CONTINUED TRADITION
My 2nd film State v. Unknown and 3rd film Death Cleaning also screened at Kendall Branch Library in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The library possesses an ample auditorium space which can seat up to 75 or so (about 30 chairs were laid out for the Ask Delphi screening). The entire event was expertly facilitated and supervised by head librarian Leonard Abreu with the support of the broader Miami-Dade Public Library System. Major thanks to both!
PLANNING THE EVENT
A date was negotiated approximately two months prior to the event. Unlike the past two screenings, there was sufficient time for promotional flyers and an original poster to be produced by MDPLS' marketing department for display and distribution at the branch. A week before the event, audio-visual testing was conducted and the results were successful.
PERSONAL PROMOTION
With two months to spread awareness about the screening, I produced a minimalist graphic, a graphic of the entire cast and two promotional videos (i.e., a short tribute to the hosting library here and a webcam address here). I also created a Facebook event page. Interest was modest but encouraging.
EXECUTION OF THE EVENT
I arrived at Kendall Branch Library on event day Saturday several hours before guests were expected to show up in order to check with Leonard and then work and read on my own a bit. Starting a half-hour before showtime, I greeted every guest attending and ushered them to the waiting auditorium. On account of rain and reported traffic, I delayed the start of the event about 15 minutes after the planned start time. When the time came, I stood before the audience and introduced the film (see video below).
AFTER THE FILM PRESENTATION
After the credit roll concluded, I ambled up to the area before the audience once again and invited attending cast member Sterling Thomas Royston to join me for a Q&A. Following my questions for Sterling, I opened up the floor to questions from the audience and the ensuing dialogue with attendees was pleasant and robust. The event concluded shortly after. A successful event by any metric.
ON DENSITY
My 1st film For My Sister possessed approximately 140 scenes across 77 pages with no imposed scene length limit. My 2nd film State v. Unknown contained approximately 140 scenes across 97 pages with a one-page scene length limit. My 3rd film Death Cleaning involved approximately 190 scenes across 66 pages with a half-page scene length limit. And presently, Ask Delphi features approximately 415 scenes across 73 pages with a quarter-page scene length limit.
As I've progressed in my feature filmmaking, I have increasingly favored shorter scenes and a greater quantity of them. I believe that more narrative beats increases the acuity and definition of the overall mimetic construction.
ON AUSTERITY
Narratively, practically and resourcefully, the films I've made deliberately embody an air of austerity. It is evidenced by the protagonist in For My Sister who proves her commitment to a sibling in an impersonal manner, by the protagonist in State v. Unknown whose sole interest is building lasting edifices, by the protagonist in Death Cleaning who's caught in the stasis of a rehabilitation program and by the mother and daughter protagonists in Ask Delphi who scarcely share a tender moment together. In terms of the production, said austerity is observed in the extensive planning, minimal on-set downtime and extremely focused work with collaborators that has long been the rule on my film productions. Regarding resources, all of the films are produced on threadbare budgets with a tireless regard for speed and efficiency. Indeed, a spiritual firmness persists through virtually all dimensions of my work.
ON UNCERTAINTY
What is the function of cinema? For me, it is an unresolved question. But I am skeptical of the oft-accepted emotional motivation behind the cinematic experience in favor of fathoming a more rationally bound one. This question also informs my penchant for modest budgets. Unless we accept that it is a scam, how can we justify the typically loose-hand expenditure on a practice that is fundamentally unproven?
Because so much is undetermined and speculative, I am partial to experimentation. For a long time, I've regarded myself as an experimental filmmaker attempting to subvert the usual approaches to form, content and the process of filmmaking itself. If I'm being honest, I don't seem too interested in old glory but, rather, new ideas and new horizons.
These questions are made more urgent by increasingly relevant existential matters such as the exceedingly top-down, corporate domination of the media industry, the near-complete absence of a regional filmmaking ethic and the irresistible potency of anarchist practice and philosophy.
ATTENDEE APPRECIATION
Several anonymous library patrons - First-time meetings but whose appreciation and curiosity about my work were instantly endearing.
Alonso E. Rhenals - My father to whom the film is dedicated.
Ana Teruel (and sons) - Friend and location coordinator for a past film at Larkin Community Hospital.
Arturo Insignares - Family friend who's so graciously supported my efforts on social media.
Beatriz and Alvaro Mendoza (and friend) - Family friends who routinely turn out for screenings.
Daniel Rhenals - My younger brother who helps me sharpen my argumentative rhetoric on occasion.
Dr. Alicia Marti Rodriguez - Retired doctor who treated me exceptionally well in the late 2000s.
Katherine Ruiz Echanique - Family friend who was kind enough to record the introduction and Q&A (see video below).
Kika Jockovich - Family friend whose apartment belongs to the Elevada family in the film.
Louise and Bill Farnsworth - Former high school teacher and husband who regularly attend my screenings.
Loye Hawkins - Ask Delphi actor who traveled from the Miami-Dade/Broward line to attend.
Maria-Cristina Del Valle - One of the founding members of the Miami Film Festival whose attendance was an immense honor.
Maribel Concepcion - Former Cub Scout Den Mother whose support now extends to my adulthood.
Michael Hill - My mentor and former high school English teacher to whom I spare no detail in endless reporting of my creative activity.
Milan Jockovich - Family friend and dentist who lent his patient's waiting salon to a former film production.
Patricia Lauriet - Actress, singer and friend who shares a similarly fervent passion for art and creativity.
Pedro and Mary Biava - Musician (Pedro) and family friends who share a love of fine film, opera and classical music.
Sterling and Genevieve Royston - Ask Delphi actor who I've worked with on my past three feature films.
Terrance Marcelle (and wife) - Talented improv artist who practices a magic I'm still trying to wrap my head around.
Yolanda Muller - Former high school English teacher who encouraged my creative obsessions during one of the most formative years of my life.
Here's the full introduction and Q&A from the event (video recorded by Katherine Ruiz Echanique):
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