one of them Benito Rabal (Madrid, 1954) is a name forever associated with the name of his actor parents. Paco Rabal And Asuncion Balaguer. And he not only accepts it, but celebrates it with pride. More than anything else, because there is probably no one who feels the devotion their son shows them. This isn’t new, he’s always done it (and every time he’s done it), but now it’s been covered in a book, thank you for my life (Book Globe, 2023). In this book, he talks about not only his parents, but also the other people he crossed paths with – whether he knew them or not – who taught him positive lessons, but somehow, directly or indirectly, they were always there. story (this is a novel, not a memoir, important). He will talk about this this Saturday from 20:00 at the Barón de Benifayó Museum in San Pedro del Pinatar, where he will present it together with Andrés Sánchez Caballero, but first he will devote a few minutes to La. Idea.
How are you, Benito?
Good at home. You caught me in Murcia yesterday, every Tuesday I give an acting workshop in front of the camera for the Regional Actors Association.
He has not cut off his relationship with cinema, but lately he has become more interested in other arts… Should I talk about you as a filmmaker or as a writer?
[Ríe] As a ‘storyteller’. After all, literature and cinema are the same; Of course there are differences, but essentially… As far as I can see, I’m still committed to the same thing.
He published his first novel last year. yesterday tomorrow (2023) and a few months later his second book, Gracias por mi vida, hit bookstores. He caught this ‘immorality’ with enthusiasm…
Yes, with desire. Actually I’m already the third [novela].
When I last interviewed him yesterday, on the occasion of the launch of his film Tomorrow, he told me the same thing: that he was already moving on to the next one. Now we’re getting into it, but… Do you have any ideas as to where the shots will go in this third future bibliographic reference of Benito Rabal?
Look, as I said before, this is a story based on a movie idea that came to my mind in the nineties and, like most, was later forgotten. However, it occurred to me to think about what I could write for this third book. I will tell you that this largely took place in Murcia and formed the background of the birth of GAL, but I still do not want to reveal more. For now, the important thing is to explain it as a political thriller.
It’s quite cinematic; Not for nothing, let’s say that you are a screenwriter, which does not make you a stranger to ‘active’ literature. So what did you find in writing now, at this moment in your life?
I have a need due to my profession. For example, people who are ‘handymen’ are always doing something; My wife is constantly knitting, painting, arranging an old table without going any further… I, on the other hand, need to tell stories. The thing is, cinema has changed a lot in recent years (or I’m just too old) and starting a film project is very difficult. So I started writing the ideas I needed to bring to the big screen in novel form. An outlet for all this.
So what binds you? Because it’s not the same thing… You don’t just write, you do it almost obsessively.
I fell into the realization that this was a way to fulfill my calling in the peace of my home. [Risas].
The first novel had autobiographical overtones, and he told me at the time that writing it had influenced him. This is not something he implies; almost a biography, written mainly through his parents, Paco Rabal and Asunción Balaguer.
Yes, the order of La Esfera de los Libros. They read the first one and loved it, so they encouraged me to write a novel – I emphasize the ‘novel’ – based on my own life. It occurred to me to travel through a part of my family’s history and, in the process, pay tribute to my family and all the people I met along the way who taught me the value of human dignity.
The important thing is to say that we are faced with a novel.
Yes, everything that was described really happened, except for some passages that I had no choice but to read – mostly because I was not yet born; Let’s say this is a fictional reality situation. Come on, these aren’t Benito Rabal’s memoirs. What matters in this type of writing is what happens when you write. thank you for my life What really matters is what little remains of what happened. And yes, of course the common thread of the story is my relationship with my family, but also from cinema, culture, etc. Talking about.
He told me it was a duty. People don’t forget you and your parents, and I think that’s a source of pride.
But above all he remembers them [Risas]. And thank God it is so. I say this because, frankly, they are much more interesting as characters than I am; They are two people who broke away from their destiny, managed to fulfill their profession and thus became known. But many of my experiences are also described in this book. It is explained both in the world of cinema and in life in general.
But we are always with them in some way. After all, if he has lived the life he has in cinema, it is because they were the ones who somehow ‘put’ him into that world.
Yes, but not in a very conscious way. My point: If my parents were proud carpenters, I think I would want to follow that path and enjoy working with wood. But of course I saw that they enjoyed their work – because they enjoyed it very much – and it is inevitable that this should not attract your attention in the least; Even me, who is going to be a musician.
What happened?
One day, at a private screening with my father, I saw what was not yet completed, The legend of the mayor of Zalamea (1973), by Camus. It was like an epiphany: I immediately decided that I wanted to tell stories and do it with moving images. Luckily, my parents’ business opened the door for me, but note this: It’s one thing to have the door opened to you, but it’s up to you to keep it open.
What’s almost harder is… Benito, how difficult was it to write this story, the story of your family? Because a life gives so much (so much good and so much bad).
Luckily it wasn’t a difficult job. Do you know what happens? Because it’s not a biography, because the goal isn’t to say: “This happened. And then, the other thing, but to tell a story, I didn’t have the pressure to tell everything; I was just telling things that taught me some positive lessons, so it was a very fluid piece of writing.” (even though I worked on it for a year.) And they always say to me: “Even so, it must have affected you.” And the truth is…, yes, at one point I did, and at other times I laughed remembering things, but it didn’t particularly anything heavy.The truth is, when I look back I see that I have had a very happy life.
So, were you satisfied with the result? I mean, it hasn’t been a boring life, I’m sure there are a lot of things left out…
Clear. So I have more to say, but I’m happy with the result. Those who read it say that it is a very enjoyable read, full of funny passages and, above all, good teachings. But I have always lived surrounded by smart people as well as good people; Of course, I have also encountered scoundrels, but they too carry their own punishment… [Risas]
What message would you like those who dive into the pages of Gracias por mi vida to leave? What did you want to reflect above all else?
The importance of love. And humility. And to fulfill his calling. And above all, the teaching that you should always be on the side of the weakest and never lose your roots or your integrity. And on a more personal level, I want readers to be left with the feeling: “What a beautiful life she had.” But it’s not just because of my family, right? Actually the name of the book is actually Thanks for the beauty – because it’s true thank you for my life and with the cover with a photo of the two of them on it, it looks like I’m just talking about them, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet other great, well-known artists throughout my life; Aute, García Márquez, Buñuel, Alberti… and with strangers who taught me so much. As a result, a friend of mine told me that this book started a new genre of literature: [Risas].
However, it is obvious that there are two people who stand above the rest: Paco and Asunción. Did you learn anything from your parents during this inner journey you had to make to write this novel? So it’s something new.
More than anything new, it confirmed me in some ways, such as the immense generosity they have always had and the blind trust they both have in people. Look: when I remembered the stories, I realized that I had never heard them speak ill of anyone; even from the people who still benefit from his good will. I remember maybe people would stop them – a couple on their honeymoon comes to mind – and they would ask them for money, tell them everything and ask for the number to give it back later. always accept and then never Nobody contacted them. We asked them why they kept doing this, and they said, “Well, if one of us ever gives it back to us, that’s enough for us.” This was his level of trust in people.