Luis María Ferrández: “it is necessary to debate a financing model that generates greater security for producers”

From March 3 to 5, the 'New Conversations of Spanish Cinema' will take place in Salamanca, a meeting to debate the current state of the Spanish audiovisual industry from the perspective of creators, as key figures in the history of our cinema such as Saura, Martín Patino, Sáenz de Heredia, Fernando Fernán-Gómez, Berlanga and Bardem did six decades ago in the famous “Conversations of Salamanca”. The promoter of this meeting, screenwriter and director, Luis María Ferrández, exchanges impressions about the present and future of cinema.

An interview by Rodrigo Espinel
ProduccionAudiovisual.com

At what point did the idea of ​​taking over the “Salamanca Conversations” of 1955 arise?

It was when I was in the middle of filming the film. The wounded screen, an unpublished feature-length documentary that makes a study of the situation of the film industry in Spain through several colloquiums between sectors and generations. In order to direct that project, I was immersed in extraordinary documentation work that required all five senses. This, added to the amount of information that each of the participants in the filming was sharing, gave me a privileged perspective on the pulse and feeling of an entire professional sector in the cultural field. It was then that I thought it was convenient to go beyond the movie screen and make this whole process emerge in a defined place.

Researching the Salamanca Conversations of 1955, I thought I glimpsed a model that fit in form, if not so much in substance, to what we could build today. A model that I liked in its application because it gives priority to people over institutions and associations, where everyone expresses themselves freely, demonstrating a personal concern without representing anyone but themselves. It was surprising to see that these meetings had never been held or resumed again in 60 years, and perhaps the time had come. From there, a long path began to convince institutions and organizations.

On that occasion, Juan Antonio Bardem summarized, as a conclusion to what was presented at the conference, he said that "Spanish cinema is politically ineffective, socially false, intellectually tiny, aesthetically null and industrially rickety."

On the frontispiece of the Vienna Secession Museum, you can read the famous phrase “To each time its art, to each art its freedom”, since art and the artist are children of their time, and therefore the creation process and the concerns of those who exercise it are those of the environment in which they exist. Therefore, Bardem's phrase is perfectly valid for the Spain of 1955, but it is not valid for today's Spain, since the social, political, cultural, economic and even philosophical moments and concerns are radically different. It is true that Spanish cinema has certain problems that do not find effective solutions over time, since these are derived from decisions taken in the past that have hampered the ability of the entire sector to function.

Of all the categorical statements of that famous phrase, perhaps the one that remains most relevant now is the last one, the one that alludes to the starving position of the national film industry, but it should be understood that the problems that afflict our contemporary cinema are the reflection of the same problems that Spanish society faces, since cinema is not only part of it but emanates from it and therefore, it cannot be alien to its hardships and its joys. The statements can in some cases be extrapolated to different situations, since we know that history has that sometimes dangerous need to repeat itself due to its pendulum characteristic, but in this case, what was valid then, cannot be valid now. Spain has changed a lot in these 61 years, and its cinema, too.

How has Spanish cinema changed in these years?

Spanish cinema has changed as much as the society of which it is a part has changed, since it is part of an evolutionary process that is not independent of the country to which it belongs; However, our industry continues to be afflicted by a series of endemic evils, some of which arise within it and others come from external causes.

It is evident that there have been many and various improvements: we have more film schools and workshops, which promotes greater theoretical knowledge; technological improvements, which leads to better quality views and visual effects; We have more associations, an audience with a need to consume audiovisual projects like never before, greater means of promoting and disseminating films through social networks and the Internet, a wide network of national festivals and a whole environment of tools that would be at the service of improving the capacity of Spanish cinema to generate quality content that can reach the public in the best conditions.

Without a doubt, this type of improvement would lead us to think that cinema is in extraordinary health, but we all know that this is not the case, so something is failing in the system, the structure, the model and the capacity in terms of effective management of all cinematographic processes in Spain.

What is the main objective of these work days?

Obtain a space in which all the concerns that emanate from the different sectors and generations that develop and want to develop their careers in the field of culture and cinematography of our borders come together. It is an open, heterogeneous space that prioritizes people over institutions and associations. And it aims to reach the end with conclusions that can serve as a reference for an improvement in the structure and sustainability of the film industry.

Let's talk about the event itself...

It is open to all people who work, want to work or whose concerns are around Spanish cinema and culture in general: screenwriters, directors, actors, producers, technicians, distributors, journalists, students, historians...

Registration is free. The structure revolves around six conversation tables with four speakers and a moderator at each one. Each table is specific to a specific topic and after its development, conclusions will be drawn that will be channeled and then end in general conclusions for all the tables.

All conversations will be recorded on video, we are still studying the possibilities of distribution and exhibition of this material because unfortunately we do not have the infrastructure to broadcast in streaming.

The first day will focus on film financing in Spain. How do you think the new aid model will impact this aspect?

Every cultural work needs money to be developed, but cinema is possibly the most expensive artistic expression that exists. This creates an absolute dependence on the economic part, therefore, the challenge of financing is fundamental when undertaking production. You can't make movies without money, and without money you can't create an industry. Therefore, the debate on the different sources of financing, their effectiveness and the search for a model that generates greater financial security for producers is absolutely necessary, which is why it is the first table with which we open these conversations.

In the next few days, we are scheduled by the ICAA for an explanatory talk on the new financing model. Until then, all opinions must be understood as such, but from what I have been able to study and read so far, it is a model that tends more to support, protect, support and embrace the large productions that are created in the television duopoly than the small and medium-sized productions that are as necessary and important as the previous ones. A balance in the financing model is essential to be able to develop healthy cinematography in terms of quantity and quality of the product. Talent and its search must be a priority regardless of who produces, because the existence and nourishment of the film industry must rest on talent and its renewal.

By the way, do you think that Spanish producers are adapting well to the new business model that is emerging with online exhibition windows? Listening to the President of the Academy speak, it seems that some “key decision makers” in our industry are not very aware of the new paradigm. What do you think?

When we talk about new business models, they often become ethereal concepts that do not have their operating structure well defined and their effectiveness as a model has yet to be demonstrated. There is no producer who doesn't want his film to be a success, and for it to be a success it needs to be seen by as many viewers as possible. The channels that are being opened as an alternative to conventional exhibition are tremendously interesting, but they will work when the public and the viewer are also educated in the enjoyment and respect of these new means of exhibition. It is very important that the industry uses these windows coherently and effectively, but it is also essential that the public is educated in the value of cultural products. It is a task of those who produce and those who see.

Later, the internationalization of Spanish cinema will also be addressed. Do you think that Spanish cinema is valued better abroad than we do ourselves?

Sometimes we fall into certain biased premises that society ends up adopting as absolute truths when this is generally not the case. It is not a question of whether Spanish cinema is valued more outside or inside, I believe that when a film is good the sensitivity of the public, regardless of whether they are from Guadalajara or Wisconsin, accepts it and admires it for its own technical and artistic value without paying attention to the nationality of the film, because the stories are universal. The problem we face is, is culture valued more abroad than in Spain? Are citizens better educated in the value of culture outside our borders? This is the great challenge we face. We know how to make good films, and they work on their own, but we must bring culture closer to the citizen.

Finally, what is the main challenge that Spanish cinema must face in the short term?

Structure the profession around a National Cinematography Center, which brings together as a fundamental point of reference, all the concerns that arise from the needs of each sector and association of our profession. Before personal objectives we must put a collective objective. Looking after everyone's needs should be a priority before looking after everyone's needs. I understand that each person needs a process of identification with causes that are legitimate and defensible, but all of this has also left the unity of the sector affected and sometimes in a state of lethargy that makes strong those who see disunity as the possibility of weakening the entire sector.

Find a reference discourse that at the same time reflects the plurality of Spanish cinema without losing sight of intellectual references. And for me it is also essential to find an identity, which I believe has been lost or questioned, something that does not benefit the development and logical progress of a profession that needs solidarity and the team like a well-oiled and precise machine. We must enter into a process of criticism and self-criticism, listen and speak more, demand in fair measure and turn to the person next to us to tell them how we can help them. Synergy is essential in a cultural industry like ours. All this without restricting ourselves, without forcing situations and rejecting stereotypes in addition to managing to communicate accurately and effectively with the potential audience of our cinema to make them understand that each film produced in our borders is heritage whose function is to entertain, disseminate and promote the best of each one of us.

The most important thing is to never stop making films, many times we will fail, other times we will succeed, but we will always have the passion of those of us who have chosen a profession that is not for the faint of heart. We take risks because we believe in what we do. If we never stop believing in what we do, there will be no storm or storm that will break our creative will.