It was around 2019 when San Antonio filmmaker Keanu Cordero first learned about the modern concept of liminality — a state of transition or “in-betweenness” that can sometimes feel strangely unsettling.
Cordero saw examples of it on social media platforms, where users posted photos of “suspended” physical spaces — empty parking garages, isolated gas stations and office buildings after hours.
“I started seeing a bunch of weird shit trending on TikTok,” Cordero, 27, told the Current during a recent interview. “I was oddly fascinated by the way these photos were making me feel. I had to get to the bottom of it, and then just went down this rabbit hole.”
Cordero’s exploration led him to write and direct the short film, Liminal. The film follows a grieving physicist who achieves time travel only to discover that when he goes back in time, no one is there.
Liminal will screen Saturday, May 2, at Slab Cinema Arthouse. The event will include a photo exhibit of liminal spaces by visual artists Tristan Bennett, C0WBOYKILL3R and JACKODIGITAL.
During our interview, Cordero, who’s originally from Los Angeles, talked about his initial interest in filmmaking, his fascination with liminal photographs and how Liminal is different from Kane Parsons’ Backrooms, the viral YouTube horror web series featuring liminal spaces.
If I’m doing the math correctly, you were born the same year The Matrix hit theaters. Were you named after Keanu Reeves?
(Laughs.) No, that’s funny. Yeah, you’re right, I was born in April 1999, and the movie came out around that time. But no, my parents had taken a trip to Hawaii, and they heard the name over there. They thought it was a cool name.
When did you first become interested in filmmaking?
My dad went to school for filmmaking, so my interest in it came from him. When I was a kid, he showed me the concept of stop-motion animation. I had all my action figures and Legos, so I went wild with my Sony Handycam. That evolved into live-action stuff and making movies with my family.
When did you know you wanted to pursue it as a career?
When I enrolled in my video production class [at Reagan High School]. I remember my teacher reinvigorated that creativity in me. I had all the tools and the permission to create without being judged. I wanted to take my skills to the next level. I opted not to go to college. So, I just started going around town asking, “Hey, who wants a music video for $50?” That’s how it started.
How did you feel connected to liminal photos when you first saw them?
There was so much nostalgia in them. You might be looking at a photo of an empty school or a house that looks like your childhood home or a long, empty corridor. But you didn’t take any of the photos. It might’ve look like my school, grandma’s house, grocery store or library, but none of the photos were mine. That’s when I started taking photos myself. I kept thinking about how I could make a movie like this. Then, I saw The Backrooms on YouTube and was like, “Somebody did it!”
How did you want Liminal to be different?
I felt like my idea could still work because I wanted to adapt traditional spaces that aren’t altered by some logic of reality. I wanted to focus on a more classic idea of liminal spaces. The Backrooms is a very different interpretation. It’s more of an alternate dimension. It’s supposed to mirror our world. They had more freedom to create these horror-esque elements.
Now, The Backrooms has been adapted into a feature film that is hitting theaters next month.
Yeah, The Backrooms really shot liminal space horror into the mainstream. Now, people want more of it. I think people are willing to accept different adaptations. It feels like there is a synergy between filmmakers who are tackling similar concepts. All we need is a platform to do it.
Does Liminal fall under the horror genre or is it more of a sci-fi film because of the time-travel premise?
Some people might get horror vibes because of the eeriness. But it starts off as sci-fi because it’s about a guy who uses time travel to prevent something tragic from happening. I think it’s an interesting exploration of grief and human nature. This is an aspect of time travel that hasn’t been explored.
What do you hope people take away after seeing your film?
I would like people to cherish the time they have. Especially when it’s out of our control, there’s nothing we can do to change it. Time travel doesn’t exist.
And if it did? Would you go back in time to change anything?
The human side of me wants to say yes, but the realistic, rational side of my brain says you can’t. But it’s a very interesting existential question.
Liminal: Short Film Premiere and Photo Exhibit
$7.77, Saturday, May 2, doors open 6 p.m., film premieres 8:30 p.m., Slab Cinema Arthouse, 134 Blue Star, (210) 212-9373, advance tickets available at bit.ly/4sS4zwC.
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