Cinema for me is …
Spain – Jesús Silva from Europa Cinemas on Vimeo.
Jesús in 23 frames
1. Describe yourself in ten words.
Galician. Cinema lover. Tireless traveler. Coffee addict. Lucky guy overall.
2. Your best quality? Your worst habit?
Best quality: I believe I’m an easy going and quite adaptable person
Worst habit: Probably too much coffee.
3. Your dream job?
Filmmaker, film critic and/or programmer.
4. What do you like most about your country?
Galician landscape and folk music.
5. Your favorite dish in your country?
“Polbo á feira” (literally “fair-style octopus”). Give it a try.
6. Which word or phrase in your native language do you like the most and what does it mean?
“Agarimo” is pretty sweet. It means “affection” in Galician language.
7. What European capital have you visited lately?
I’ve been back in Dublin this summer (fourth time there).
8. Other than your own, which European country would you love to live in?
I’ve been lucky enough to live in the Czech Republic (Prague) and Belgium (Brussels) for a while, and I’ve also spent some time in Ireland. Three wonderful places to live.
9. What does Europe mean to you? 3 values.
Community, exchange, Erasmus.
10. What film made you fall in love with cinema.
I can’t recall any specific movie as my “first love”… I would say that Tim Burton and Tarantino hit me hard when I was younger. What I clearly remember is that discovering European cinema, its richness and diversity, opened a new world for me that constantly reminds me why I love and need film.
11. Your favorite film theatre? What do you like about it?
Cinema NUMAX is without question one of the best things that ever happened to the cultural life of Santiago de Compostela. First and foremost because it gives us the opportunity to access European and independent productions that otherwise would never reach the screen. Apart from that, NUMAX regularly organizes different events and meetings with creators, promoting local culture and offering a gathering point for film goers and artists in general. On top of that: passionate human team and friendly welcome for everybody.
12. Who is your movie hero?
Given the current situation, anyone who is brave (or crazy) enough to start a film project deserves my highest respect and admiration.
13. Which movie director would you like to be?
I admire several filmmakers, but I would like to be whoever I become through my own work and experience.
14. Briefly describe your favorite scene.
There have been a couple of scenes from last year productions that really got stuck in my mind because of its beauty and power: A fleet of taxis riding across the desert in the twilight was a perfect epilogue for Mimosas (Oliver Laxe, 2016, FR); the naked scene from Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, 2015, DE) is an instant classic of surrealism and dark comedy; and the dancing car in the lake from La idea de un lago (Milagros Mumenthaler, 2016, CH) is simply pure cinema.
15. What are the 3 best European films you have seen in the last year?
Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, 2015) DE
Frantz (François Ozon, 2016) FR
Mimosas (Oliver Laxe, 2016) FR
16. Which film character do you most identify with?
When I was younger I used to connect with outcast characters, like the ones in Tim Burton movies. Nowadays, I find it easier to identify with other European youngsters struggling with the same issues and aspirations as myself.
17. Your favorite soundtrack or song?
Anything from The Beatles or Galician folk music.
18. If you had to live in a movie, which one would you like it to be?
I guess some fantasy or sci-fi world would be exciting. I’m a huge fan of dystopian topics, but I don’t think it would be really enjoyable to live in those…
19. Your life becomes a bio-pic. Who plays the role of you?
I took theater lessons when I was a kid (and I actually miss it) so I’d love to play it myself. If that wasn’t possible, I’d like some non-professional actor.
20. Which talent would you most like to have?
Being able to stretch the time (more like a super power).
21. What is your most treasured possession?
I would love to say I do not attach myself to material stuff… But I would be really sad if anything happened to my camera gear or my film/book collection.
22. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Finding amazing people and life-changing experiences on the way.
23. What is your motto?
Keep searching. Keep trying. Keep learning.