I never thought it as monsters As it was understood from that phrase, it would not be a successful film, and 9 Goya would not win either. But most of all, Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Madrid, 1981) did not think that so many people would go to see him. The director, who frequently visits Alicante as his father lives here, is now preparing his next script with Isabel Peña, as always. He says there will be no tension.
if i tell him as monsters What is the first thing that comes to mind?
I don’t know. There are many levels of answering this, but the most striking is because that’s what I get most in terms of quantity, that it’s a success. And you assume, you accept, but you don’t believe. We never imagined such a box office, critical and acclaimed success. We have always believed that it is not an easy film, according to the current trend of the audience, that they see, reward, tolerate. We knew and it didn’t matter because we were going to do it even if no one was going to the movies. And all of a sudden a lot of people went to the movies, which is what really surprised me the most.
However, it has won 9 Goyas and César for best non-French film, among many other awards. When you think of starting to make a movie, do you think of being successful?
You don’t think about it, because it’s useless. We thought people wouldn’t go to the movies to see it, and we were wrong. You know what league you’re progressing in, but then there may be surprises. Deep down and cliche, I think all, or nearly all, filmmakers want to tell a story that moves them first, and they believe it because that story moves them, or well, that’s what he talked about. I think it will excite many viewers because it excites me. Also, in our experience, removal as monstersWe believe that in all the movies we make, which is always very positive, the audience generally loves him. Another thing is that they go a lot to see him. It’s a very positive experience for me and you find yourself with a song in your teeth, that’s what you desire. You are making a movie that you believe will attract attention, now that people go to the movies, this is a dream, a utopia. Then it can touch you but Kingdom not touched with Mom much less… but it doesn’t matter. I did as monsters because I wanted such a film to exist in the world of cinema. You are working with him. at least i
Isn’t it a paradox that well-reviewed and award-winning films are not seen by many, and others with large audiences are not recognized at all? This situation alcarras You said yourself that you don’t deserve to be left blank in Goyas.
If I knew why, we would all try to be successful. But that’s true, and this conflict is growing. A movie that was good for the critics before was good for the public. Unfortunately for me, audio-visual education and general education, which I think we are all responsible for, are heading towards fast consumption. These are the times that flow. If you don’t demand much from the audience and you can consume something quickly, it seems like you get better performance, people like it more. Then everything mixes with the fact that this is what I love and therefore what must be seen, and I go to see him en masse. But of course, then there are other voices saying “this is not the eye” in parallel. I think there is a responsibility or a natural disposition that is already a matter of authorship: let’s try to have as many voices as possible. Since the audio-visual world won’t have them, they tend to unite, and there will be four cats, including myself, who try to raise their voices radically and, fortunately, critics reward them to a lesser degree.
His story talks about the fact that there are no good guys who are all good or bad guys who are all bad. Like life itself.
Yes, it’s something that happens all the time in our movies. We have always tried to describe situations, dilemmas, characters and disturbing attitudes in gray rather than black and white because we believe that this is the way life is and we find it more interesting, and therefore such fictions. I’m more interested in why someone is doing something wrong than accusing it of being bad. When you wonder why someone did something bad, you start non-judgment and you see that they did something good too. Add to this the fact that we are in a world that increasingly forces you to place yourself on one extreme or the other. PP or PSOE, left or right; You can not criticize, there are no nuances. It is a ridiculous radicalization that this system established for this is taking you. Twitter, immediacy, everything is similar, like it or not. We feel compelled to participate. Like when you leave the cinema. “Do you like it or not?” question should be banned. because it forces you to make quick decisions even when you don’t assimilate what you see. And it’s not whether a movie is good or whether you like it or not, it’s the journey that matters.
empty cinemas
It also deals with evacuated Spain. Worried about empty cinemas too?
Of course it worries me. To our entire industry, that is, not all, but many filmmakers or producers, because the audiovisual industry is not dealing with what it has to worry about. In my opinion yes, because it will disappear. I would like to think that it is impossible not to have a cinema because there are still a lot of people who are in love with cinema, but it was below average.
“You are making a movie that you believe will be interesting, now it is a delusion that people go to the movies. I made ‘As bestas’ because I wanted such a movie to exist in the world of cinema”
Why did you say that the audiovisual industry doesn’t care?
Because the platform is important to him, he consumes and ignores the cinema at home, and even sabotages some traditions and mechanisms such as the movie theater, the work of the writer or the writer or the filmmaker or the director. What they do, a good part, is things like offering work to a network of professionals but charging other kinds of aspects. And this worries me a lot.
Do you think the platforms have benefited or harmed the world of cinema?
This is a trick question. It worked for some things and not for others.
Don’t you think they added a lot of life to the industry with their TV series?
Completely. But making a series is one thing, making platforms is another.
“We are an industry – and we are a country – small and poorly organized, a bit of a quarrelsome little protester”
But serials are broadcast on platforms…
Today. It’s been a lifetime.
last thing you did riot gearwhich has received many awards. Do you think we have a lot to be jealous of North American dramas or do the Spaniards have their own brand?
There’s not much to be jealous of. There are very good TV series in Spain. And in the US, they make very good shows as well as very bad ones. We have nothing to be jealous of. And I don’t think it’s a hallmark of Spanish cinema. Do you like Spanish cinema? well yes. What about the American? There is some real bullshit. Do you like Argentine cinema? People say I love Argentine cinema, but we have four films. Check out all Argentine cinema, see if you like it.
You are the screenwriter for your films, you form a tandem with Isabel Peña. Isn’t it hard to write with four hands?
It’s easier for us because otherwise we wouldn’t have continued. I find many advantages, so many that I do not want to do it. You’re also losing something because the movie isn’t yours, but I don’t care.
And what did you gain?
All right, you get another brain. He’s very smart. We work faster when we’re both. I can’t understand a single screenwriter. I envy and admire him. I couldn’t face a scenario alone. I need someone to tell us if we’re okay. Isabel tells me the same. The hard part is finding someone who makes you rich.
Interestingly, award-winning works have always been nominated or awarded for best screenplay, almost on par with best film or directing. I know the answer is complicated, but is the story more important in the cinema or how should it be told?
There’s nothing you can do if the script sucks. Nothing. You can roll so well that no… there is no god to save him. Another thing that matters is how you tell a story. The easy thing is to have a good idea. The challenge is to develop it. This can be a very good movie or a very bad movie. The important thing is the scenario. Because of the script, I’ve seen great directors who shoot movies that don’t interest me at all.
“We always tried to describe situations, dilemmas, characters and disturbing attitudes in gray rather than black and white”
Do you write your screenplays because you prefer to create your own stories, or do you shoot another writer’s screenplay?
I always leave the door open, I would love to, but it didn’t happen to me, they don’t concern me.
But have you been offered scenarios?
Yes, most of the time. But they do not convince me. It must come from us. We write a lot in this sense. It’s not by choice, it happens. Other than that, we had a lot of fun in the process.
Which is more complex, developing the script or shaping the puzzle for the movie to come out?
Everything has a cost. Now we’re writing the script for the next movie and he’s having a really tough time. But at the same time I tell you that the assembly as monsters it was complicated. However, the script turned out to be very easy. Other times it’s the opposite. riot gear The editing was very simple because everything was very well defined but the script was very difficult for us. Every process changes.
Can you say something about the next movie?
I can say little It’s not a thriller, it’s just another character story. We want to escape the world of suspense in which we are labeled. Okay, but we want to get out of there. We’ve done things that people see and like, and we want to take risks. That’s why it costs us so much.
There will be no comedy…
No, but I would love to. We dare not but I think it will work because we have so much fun. But this registry change scares us. Yet I like to say that we dare everything.
Does winning so many awards condition you when it comes to making another movie?
There is more pressure because we know that more people will be watching the movie with a special magnifying glass. Maybe it will outweigh us, it would be hypocrisy if I said no, but it’s still very new. And you don’t have to weigh in.
“My new movie isn’t a thriller, it’s more of a character story. We want to escape the thriller world we’re tagged in.”
Hollywood screenwriters went on an indefinite strike. Is something similar possible in Spain?
It looks very difficult. It’s complicated because we’re an industry and a country, few and poorly organized, little belligerent, little protester. We are a country of fear in general, a country that sleeps, afraid of 40 years of dictatorship and 40 years of transition. And very selfish. We survived, but I saved myself. It’s a pity, but then we’re having a good time, we’re very good…
If you wanted to talk about a reference, what name would you say?
There are many, but there is one, Paul Thomas Anderson, who is an absolute benchmark. But you have to force yourself to sing female characters, not because they look good, but because you have to teach people, young people, that they are great directors. There is a French director I love, Maïwenn. I like that you said that because it’s nice to know that you can be a woman and a director, and you’re so good at it.
I think you know that the work of Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante has started again. I don’t know if I’d be interested in shooting here.
I don’t shoot on set, but out of curiosity I would love to visit them. What happens is that you never have to say never because at a certain moment I may need it.