Film festival awards are a lottery. They rarely coincide with what the press thinks, with critics placing previous days as favorites. In fact, even the term “jury decision” induces a play on words about the difficulty of getting it right. However, the jury of this edition of the San Sebastián Festival has drawn up a practically impeccable assessment – although with some surprises -, starting with an impeccable Golden Shell, which Albert Serra won for his controversial – a few days before the presentation by PACMA of its withdrawal from the competition was requested – and a magnificent documentary on bullfighting, Lonely afternoons.
The film by Serra, one of the most important authors of current Spanish cinema and one of the few to attract international festivals, was the proposal that divided the festival in two. It was the Zinemaldia event, out of relevance and curiosity. After seeing it, it was clear that he also split it in two on a cinematic level. It was difficult for a work from the Official Section to live up to the imposing portrait of bullfighting painted by the director.
With unprecedented access, Serra places his camera at sand level and shows what’s happening inside. A violent spectacle where some will see fascination, but where there is only barbarity. Serra doesn’t judge, but by looking so closely, by looking without restrictions, he offers an absurd and wild story. He throws his film in our faces so we can take it back and do what we want with it. If his portrait of the place is formidable, the one he paints behind the scenes of this band full of testosterone and masculinity dressed in a costume of lights is no less so.
The president of the jury, Jaione Camborda, underlined “his artistic power” and that “with his cinematographic language, he gives the viewer a space to judge”. “We believe in the power of art to generate movement, and this work allows us to reflect on the limits of artistic expression, fear, brutality or masculinity, among other aspects,” he added . For his part, Serra “inevitably” remembers the “protagonists of the film”. “To come close to this level of intimacy with unique people is a privilege, an honor, and I wanted to thank them for allowing us to do it. To Andrés Roca Rey and his crew. Thanks to them, the film exists and has an authentic side that we don’t find in so many other films. Only daring auteur cinema can get to the bottom of a subject, including this one,” he added.
With the Silver Shell for best achievement, the jury launched a declaration of intent with its only tied prize. It rewarded two first films by two emerging talents, but in radically different cinemas. On the one hand, the social cinema of a new generation represented by Laura Carreira, who with While falling had been placed among the big favorites throughout this year. A portrait of precarious employment, new forms of exploitation and the lack of union and association networks that Ken Loach has drawn up, but which uses a shocking drought.
He shared it with Pedro Martín-Calero, another “beginner” who surprised with The tearsa horror film produced by Caballo Films, Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s production company, and which he wrote with Isabel Peña. A film that has divided critics, but where Martín-Calero shows that in Spain there are also other ways of doing horror and making it speak to current issues such as violence against women and how society never believe them. Martín-Calero recalled the technical team and support of the Argentine National Cinema Institute to criticize Milei’s policy against the audiovisual sector. “The tears “It talks about sexist violence, a central subject in our society for which we are all responsible,” added the filmmaker.
Lots of Spanish cinema
The other reading that we can make of the awards is that Spanish cinema is experiencing a sweet moment. This San Sebastian comes shortly after the recent Golden Lion awarded to Pedro Almodóvar – who received the Donostia Award for his entire career in Donostia – for The next roomand ends with three of the four Spanish films on the list. The third to enter was The sparks, another of the favorites who had to settle for the award for best interpretation – Zinemaldia does not distinguish gender in its awards – for Patricia López Arnáiz, currently one of the actresses in the best shape who was moved to tears on stage and He dedicated it to the director, Pilar Palomero. Also in the New Directors category, there was a special mention for the debut of C. Tangana, The flamenco guitar of Yerai Cortés, a documentary with echoes of Saura which was one of the surprises of this edition.
The special jury prize, which can highlight any aspect of one of the films in competition, was awarded to the entire cast of The last showgirl, by Gia Coppola. A film which represents the resurrection of Pamela Anderson, who established herself as an actress with this empathetic and affectionate look of the granddaughter of the director of The godfather towards a variety dancer from Las Vegas over 50 years old who announces herself unemployed when the show where she works closes. Both took the stage to receive the award and Anderson reminisced about the rest of the cast, which includes Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista.
The surprise of the list of winners came with the inclusion of two prizes awarded by When autumn falls, by François Ozon, a minor film by the French filmmaker which won mentions for best supporting role, for Pierre Lottin, and for best screenplay, also won by the performer. The first thing is understandable. Lottin – who caught Macron with a dart, thanking him for his “listening” – has presence, charisma, and is one of the French actors of the moment. Less understandable about the scenario, especially since it is repeated above titles like My only family, the dark portrait of Mike Leigh who came away empty despite compelling reviews and being one of the best in the competition. A record which ended with another unbeatable prize, that of best photography for Chinese film. Bound to heaven, thriller shot with exquisite taste and another promising debut from filmmaker Xin Huo. ffffffff
