JA Bayona had many teachers, but there is only one who earned the title “Teacher from Bayonne.” That legacy belongs to Luis Rey, a student of cinema history who helped shape the visual language Bayona would later bring to classrooms. Alongside his colleague Aurora Maquinay, Rey authored two volumes of Cinema a l’escola, manuals that became foundational teaching resources for educators both in Spain and beyond, influencing classroom practice far and wide.
Rey recalls meeting Jota and his brother Carlos in 1986, when the Bayona brothers were just starting anew. It was the sixth year at Sant Josep Oriol de la Trinitat Nova school. “I held a history degree,” Rey explains, “but my teaching went beyond social sciences; I collaborated on many other courses with Professor Adolfo. I led introductory workshops in the language of cinema, which included the Bayona brothers. Since cinema begins with photography, we started by making heliograms and photograms, then an auca about great inventions. And the great invention that JA, who was only eleven and in the sixth grade, chose to explore was cinema.”
Was he chosen by JA, or perhaps for Carlos? Rey admits the difficulty of distinguishing twins. “It embarrassed me a little because their classmates knew them so well. To me, they both seemed exceptional. And when I corrected their exams, they both earned excellent results.”
That detail from the Auca hinted at Bayona’s future path, yet it wasn’t until Bayona was sixteen or seventeen that the professor truly grasped the depth of his student’s calling. “At that time, I offered introductory film language courses through various organizations and groups in the Nou Barris area. During one session, he told me, ‘Teacher Luis, I want to be a film director.’ Two years later, I saw him again in the front row at another course. And again, ‘Teacher Luis, I want to be a director.’ It was clear he wouldn’t be deterred, and I was not going to discourage him from pursuing a director’s path.”
Given Bayona’s stubborn determination, Rey and Aurora supported him in every possible way. Rey lent him early works created on super 8, providing a projector to help with sound editing, while Aurora guided him toward ESCAC. They were close observers of Bayona’s trajectory—from early shorts to music videos and, eventually, feature films. The director’s early work “A Monster Is Coming to See Me” left a strong impression on him, though Rey notes that “Snow Society” may stand as Bayona’s most important film, judging by the reactions of friends and family.
Many marvel at Bayona’s journey from a childhood in La Trini to the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Yet for Rey, who remained close to the director’s family, the triumph is less sudden. He recalls that, according to Juan Antonio, Bayona’s artistic inclination has deep roots in his father, Juan Antonio García, a painter who produced large-scale movie posters in the eighties. “To enter this world, you must be determined, almost a warrior,” Rey reflects. He also notes that Bayona’s mother, Pilar, has always supported her children’s cultural ambitions, shaping a home environment that could nurture such talent.
In this narrative, the influence of mentors like Rey and Maquinay appears as a steady undercurrent guiding a prodigy toward a global stage. Their belief in the value of cinema education helped lay the groundwork for a generation of filmmakers who see film language not only as art but as a means of learning and communication. The story is a reminder of how early encouragement, practical support, and accessible teaching materials can empower young sensitivity to become world-class creators. The legacy endures, not merely in Bayona’s achievements, but in the ongoing power of cinema education to spark future visions. [Citation: Rey’s reminiscence and collaboration with Bayona family, contemporary interviews]