JA Bayona (48 years old, Barcelona) appears with a slight delay in Barcelona’s Eixample, one of the places where tourists gather for brunch. Today the place is strangely half-empty and unnoticeable when one enters. He greets her briefly and leaves himself in the photographer’s hands with the courtesy of protocol. Director at that time spanish cinema She lets him do it and just wants to check out one of the photos because he excuses himself: “I didn’t have time to comb my hair.” When they sit down to start the interview, all their attention is directed to the book on the table containing footage from the shooting of their latest movie. These are the few minutes where he’s completely absorbed, and the rest (somewhat uncomfortably so while you wait) is just staring into his bubble for months.Snow CommunityComing to Netflix this Thursday.
It is just after ten in the morning and Bayona breaks the silence with a request that concerns no one but his twin brother; “A coffee was ordered,” Carlos complains loudly. Bayona knows this with her little mouth He returned to the cafe because he didn’t sleep much. He hasn’t been feeling well for a few days, but at the same time he continues to combine promotion in Spain with international promotion. “The worst time when I’m sleeping is when I’m not filming because work and pleasure come together. “I slept late yesterday because I continued watching movies at home.” The film he is talking about is Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’, which is also in all Oscar pools.
‘Snow Society’ was pre-selected in four divisions (best international film, best original score, best visual effects and best make-up and hairdressing) and Bayona was the first to push for the hype to not fade away. “He’s the only person I know who experienced the promotion with the same intensity as the shoots,” says one member of his team. And that means a lot because Bayona is so involved in the story of the survivors of the crash in the Andes in 1972 Before filming, he slept in a tent where the plane crashed.
“I have a terrible time on shoots, and they also go by very quickly,” he admits. “So, that’s really my job; That’s where I flow. Most of the time it’s scary being on set because things don’t go your way, but that’s what I like about it. Because the greatest reward is when you finally find what you’re looking for.” People involved in the film and consulted for this report described the work as a project “under great pressure to meet deadlines” and Bayona “with a very clear idea of what he wanted, very a demanding director,” he recalls.
Knowing that he is now nominated for a Golden Globe, the director is celebrating every positive response he has received from the film, which will be released on Netflix on January 4. “I only buy good things”, insists on showing me as he scrolls through his cell phone, telling me about the good reception at the cinema. As his excitement increases, the scene becomes longer. “According to me Many viewers can relate to the cruelty these people suffered. Because we have all gone through moments when we felt like life was hurting us. And they were an example of resistance and cooperation.”
Bayona wants his film to touch as many people as possible, but he claims that doesn’t make his cinema any less honest. “The easy thing was to reveal the hero’s saga, but for me the goal was originality. My opinion about the audience is that they can reach and understand what I want to say. You see a lot of movies where the director wants to say something but the audience doesn’t understand it, you know? “At this point, I advocate accessible cinema.”
Bayona noticed this more than once: He grew up in a family where feelings were not discussed. (there were other priorities too, like making a living) and found a place in the cinema to do it. He assures me that his latest film has helped him become more candid with his feelings, so I invite him to answer an unusual survey. A question that includes questions from the Proust questionnaire (a test designed to reveal the true nature of each individual) and Capote’s 1972 interview with himself as a self-portrait.
“Excellent but I’m more CapoteBayona warns.
The main feature of your character is…
I am a Taurus. I would say perseverance, but I don’t want it to sound arrogant. Stubbornness? Grit is more than determination. Because perseverance seems to give me flowers.
The mood you encounter most often is…
Restless.
Your biggest fear is…
Death.
A trait you can’t stand in yourself…
What don’t I like about myself? [Se lo pregunta mientras mira a su hermano]. I don’t like missing myself, how can you say that? No, look: I can’t stand my impatience.
Your idea of perfect happiness…
Watching a movie I like in the cinema. In other words, you lose track of time because you’re in your element. This happens to me too when I shoot movies. A day of shooting feels like it lasts 10 minutes because it flies by. These are the moments when I feel like I’m flowing.
An overrated virtue…
Beauty. Since this is given to you, it has no value. When Brad Pitt turned 60, everyone said he was very handsome, but he didn’t have much. If anything, it will be from his parents. I admire beauty as an asset, but not as a virtue.
Something you value highly in others…
Honesty. Establishing an honest dialogue. This is highly valued when you work in cinema. Cinema is a constant attitude of survival, and lying or trying to find shortcuts is always a bad thing. As Guillermo del Toro said: We are all living in the last three minutes of life, and what matters here is the truth.
If you had to live in one place and never leave, which would you choose?
Wow, how difficult! In a cinema showing movies all the time… although I’d end up slitting my wrists. Life is a change. If there is no change, people go crazy. But a continuous movie session doesn’t seem bad to me.
Do you prefer animals to people?
No. It bothers me a lot that animals are humanized and humans are dehumanized. It’s not the poor animals’ fault, but it seems to me that this is one of the great evils of the society we live in. There are social networks full of dogs acting like humans, and then people die in war and we don’t pay attention to these images.
Do you consider yourself a cruel person?
No. On a scale of 1 to 10… a 3. I’m not perfect and in fact most of the time you find yourself watching TV from home and there’s a point where you’ve already become desensitized to what you’re seeing. This is also a kind of cruelty.
Have you ever wanted to kill someone?
No. Have I ever wished for someone to die? I might think about it for a few seconds and then it disappears. But hey: yes, there are bad people in the world that you can think about and say to yourself: I wish, right? You say: weeds never die, which is a way of unconsciously wishing for the death of the other.
What qualities do you look for in your friends?
Entertainment. Laughter and the ability to listen are essential in friends; that you can talk. What I admire most about people in general is the ability to learn. I was with David Trueba yesterday and I ended up asking him for his phone number because I told him: I need to spend more time with you, David. Because I don’t stop learning and it’s addictive. This family is incredible. Fernando, we are already very friends.
Do you consider yourself a sincere person?
[Se lo piensa]. Increasingly. This movie contributed a lot to me in this regard. If this movie changed anything in me, it’s to open myself up more to others. Show more of my vulnerability. A friend of mine who is a psychologist told me this. One of my greatest strengths is recognizing my vulnerability. And it’s true: cinema is a matter of survival, and lies are a dead end. They don’t help you survive.
If something still shocks you, what would shock you?
Evil. It’s a bit obvious, but people who deliberately behave badly. This doesn’t suit me and makes me angry.