| ( Athens News) |
Spanish cinema's steady climbFilms from Spain are travelling abroad and spurring remakes |
| ANGELIKE CONTIS
King of the Hill director Gonzalo Lopez Gallego is one of a string of Spanish directors being snatched up by Hollywood recently. He's been signed on to direct a thriller called Solo there. He attributed the popularity of his countrymen in Hollywood to only one trait. "We are hard workers." His intense thriller is about a city dweller who runs for his life in a dangerous countryside. When Athens News asked him how he gave a "Hollywood look" to a film with a lower budget, he offered what sounded like advice to new filmmakers. "Be careful about whatever you can be careful about - whatever is in your hands - the camera, the sound. Get people who know how to do it best, and be as consistent as possible." In the US, Gallego said he hopes to "make a leap and discover new things". He added: "It's a logical process, whether I make a film there, or do one here. What I want to do is to work. To work and to make films." |
Beyond scary movies Though several Greek distributors who attended the Madrid de Cine screenings did not consider all the films suitable for international distribution, the event showed off many different genres and high production values. Director Gallego said a range of films is key: "I believe that when there is more diversity, then we can begin calling ourselves a film industry." On the more international side of films was Chaotic Anna, directed by Basque auteur Julio Medem, known internationally for offbeat, globe-trotting films with a sense of longing, such as Lovers of the Arctic Circle. His new film is an ambitious work about a young female artist raised in Ibiza who embarks on a personal journey while channelling past female spirits. Meanwhile, Thirteen Roses, about 13 young Communist supporters executed after the end of the Civil War in the 1940s, and comedy Chef's Special, about a gay chef, felt catered more to local consumption. As far as Chef's Special co-star Lola Duenas (also seen in Almodovar films Talk to Her and Volver) was concerned, there's a shortage of comedies in her country. She said: "People don't offer me comedies. I've only done one other comedy in my life." But Duenas, playing a flaky restaurant hostess in the film, has a knack for comic timing both on the screen and in person. She confessed that she once worked as a chef in a restaurant. How was it? "Horrible, " she said and then after a beat: "My hair was covered with oil - for life." She added with a belly laugh that "actors work in restaurants a lot here in Spain". Hopefully, Spain's new cinema law, which supports independent film, promotional events like Madrid de Cine and the success of Spanish films abroad, will reverse this trend. * Two more Spanish films out soon are Yo and Salvador ATHENS NEWS , 11/07/2008, page: A35
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