Cinema for me is…
Pau in 23 Frames
1. Describe yourself in ten words.
Independent and dreamy. Trying to understand reality.
2. Your best quality? Your worst habit?
My best quality is probably good time management & my worst habit is starting new books or TV series repeatedly without finishing others, I am already watching/reading.
3. Your dream job?
I don’t have a dream job at the moment, but it undoubtedly would be something flexible that involves cinema or photography. I would love to develop short or long term personal audio-visual projects, taking an active role in the creative process without losing touch with the present day reality.
4. What do you like most about your country?
The nice and warm weather, living by the sea. Also, the relaxed, flexible and commonly adopted notion of time passing by without any rushes or worries.
5. Your favourite dish in your country?
The traditional Catalan meal “pa amb tomàquet” which is basically bread rubbed with tomato with olive oil and salt. I am also really fond of the typical Spanish potato omelette (“tortilla de patatas”).
6. Which word or phrase in your native language do you like the most and what does it mean?
“T’estimo, t’estime, t’estim” are the three words to say “I love you” in Catalan’s different dialects, and I really like how they sound out loud. Also, I love the quote “viure vol dir prendre partit”, that means “to live implies to participate, to take part”.
7. What European capital have you visited lately?
During last autumn, I visited Vienna and Prague.
8. Other than your own, which European country would you love to live in?
Well, I really appreciate Italian culture and way of life (art, climate, cities, language, food), so I wouldn’t mind settling there at all. Additionally, there is something extremely captivating and unique about Scotland and especially Edinburgh, which I would love to explore by living there.
9. What does Europe mean to you? 3 values.
Europe to me is a place for multicultural diversity, an opportunity of interconnectivity between people from different countries and a unique nest for creativity. Moreover, I believe Europe must rethink itself in order to be the vanguard of human rights, diversity and a green environment.
10. What film made you fall in love with cinema?
I think the thought of being continuously amazed by movies made me fell in love with cinema (as well as being able to discuss its meanings and complexity with friends), but if I have to choose, I would surely consider Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001, US).
11. Your favourite film theatre? What do you like about it?
El Retiro, which is located in Sitges. It’s a small old theatre whose walls are covered with beautiful all-time posters where you can breathe authenticity and true devotion to cinema. It’s also one of the cinemas where the Sitges International Film Festival takes place.
12. Who is your movie hero?
Well, Kyle MacLahan playing Agent Cooper in the Twin Peaks series and movie is humanly heroic. I can’t think of anyone with a similar wild and changing character development.
13. Which movie director would you like to be?
If I could pick the directors I admire most, their best qualities and mix them together, I would definitely go for Richard Linklater sense of time, Gaspar Noe’s cameras directing, David Robert Mitchell genre reformulation, Darren Aronofsky character development, Chloé Zhao portrait of human emotion, David Lynch plasticity of dreams and Wes Anderson originality.
14. Briefly describe your favourite scene.
The opening scene of It Follows (David Robert Mitchell, 2014, US). A common residential neighbourhood in the evening. On the right, a girl wearing a short dress and high heels starts running desperately to the middle of the central road. She stops there, but she’s continuously doubting, turning around. Horrified, she takes some small steps back. All of a sudden, she starts running once again through the street and finally renters the house she had previously left. Her dad, bewildered, watches her way, trying to understand the situation. They both enter the two-floor house. After a few seconds of calm and silence, the scared girl starts rushing to a parked car. Once there, she impulsively accelerates and leaves the area.
15. What are the 3 best European films you have seen in the last year?
Els dies que vindran (Carlos Marques-Marcet, 2019, ES)
Climax (Gaspar Noé, 2018, FR)
Lazzaro felice (Alice Rohrwacher, 2018, IT)
16. Which film character do you most identify with?
In some ways, with Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Steven Chbosky, 2012, US).
17. Your favourite soundtrack or song?
Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001, FR) and La La Land (Damien Chazelle, 2016, US) make absolutely perfect soundtracks. In addition, less musical toned movies such as An elephant sitting still (Bo Hu, 2018, CN) and Boyhood (Richard Linklater, 2014, US) also include some breath-taking tracks.
18. If you had to live in a movie, which one would you like it to be?
The island of the pleasures featured in Les garçons sauvages (Bertrand Mandico, FR, 2017) sounds as the ideal place, regardless of its complex and terrifying nature…
19. Your life becomes a bio-pic. Who plays the role of you?
Adriano Tardiolo would do a great job!
20. Which talent would you most like to have?
I would love being able to play the guitar and to sing properly.
21. What is your most treasured possession?
A camera from the 1930’s that works perfectly fine.
22. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being surrounded by people I love at school and at home. And, of course, having the opportunity to come to the Venice Film Festival this summer.
23. What is your motto?
I don’t really have one, but I try to find beauty in small pleasures, think critically about society and to take advantage of every second that passes by.