THE CIRCUIT: SAN SEBASTIAN FILM FESTIVAL

by John Hopewell
Woody Allen has such a sad quavering voice that it’s only when you got up close to him at San Sebastian - in other words, saw him on TV - that you could see that he actually looked rather happy.

He should have been. While his first British pic got the bird from many U.K. crix, Spanish reviewers were largely happy for Allen in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” to set up stereotypes of Spanish character - such as Javier Bardem’s macho, passionate paint-flinging painter - and then show the humanity behind the facade.

The festival audience also thought the ignorance of Spain shown by American tourists Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) -- "they’d never heard of Oviedo!"*  -- was a hoot.

Pic got good reviews: “Some genius (and ingenious) touches,” glowed daily newspaper El Pais.

And at his press conference Allen delivered, making the kind of bathetic off-the-cuff retort without which no Allen appearance would be complete:

Enthusiastic U.S. journalist: “I’m from New York and I live in Oviedo. I live near the statue that has been erected there in your honor. So every time I go to the news stand I have a chance to see you. And I just wanted to mention that your monument is the most visited monument of any monument in Oviedo.

Allen: Is that by pigeons or people?

* Oviedo is the capital of Asturias, a lush rural region in Northern Spain. Read Variety’s Asturias Spotlight here.


The Variety España team is on the ground in Spain, bringing regular dispatches throughout the San Sebastian Film Festival.

by Emiliano De Pablos
It must sound near like heavenly music for a Spanish film producer when he hears that there is a potential new market of three million people for his films, and that he can discuss how to reach them over a free glass or ten.

The San Sebastian Sales Office hosted its first Happy Hour cocktail Friday organized by CESyA, a Spanish public institution to promote a wider accessibility in film and TV for people with sight or hearing disabilities: aids includes subtitling and special audio commentary.

The Happy Hour lasted nearly two hours, which made people even happier. 


CESyA's technical director Belen Ruiz Mezcua (left) and Angel Garcia Crespo, responsible for social awareness.  "In Spain, there are a million blind people, another million are deaf, and yet another million are elderly people with difficulties in really getting into movies," Garcia said. Spain's new film law offers subsidies for subtitling and audio aids to cinema theaters.


Some major Latin American film industry heavyweights: Guadalajara Film Festival's industry director, Andrea Stavenhagen (left) and director Jorge Sanchez Sosa, sharing a glass with Argentine exec Bernardo Bergeret, its INCAA film institute's international affairs manager. 


The Madrid Film Commission's A-team: Samuel Castro, head of international and communications, and director Manuel Soria with actress Tirma Ayerbe and producer Luis Mendez. Mendez, a member of a dynasty of filmmakers, is backing CESyA's initiatives. 


Sogepaq international sales exec Gorka Bilbao smiles with Miami-based Venevision Intl. acquisitions execs Millie Luna and Jose Ramon Ganchegui - maybe just about to seal a movie package agreement for the U.S. Hispanic market? 


More than bulls. Beyond its San Fermin bull runs, Pamplona has a somewhat less dangerous film festival. The 9th edition runs October 6-11. Director Dimas Lasterra and press chief Iñaki Arrubia talk at the cocktail with San Sebastian-based producer Nuria Ruiz Cabestany. 


Madrid's Carlos III U is a frequent collaborator with CESyA. University's institutional relations execs Daniel Vega and Monica Souto (right).


The Variety España team is on the ground in Spain, bringing regular dispatches throughout the San Sebastian Film Festival.

by John Hopewell and Team Variety, San Sebastian
The San Sebastian Festival didn’t quite begin with a bang Thursday, but almost: it began with Javier Bardem and Antonio Banderas.

Spain’s two homeboys made good in Hollywood, they made for an interesting contrast.

Banderas was modesty to a tee. In town to tubthump Richard Eyre’s official fest opener “The Other Man,” and to pick up a Donostia Award tomorrow, he took the press conference with Eyre dressed in an orange-red shirt as bright as a soccer strip - a common touch. He looked gaunter than in his “Zorro 2" or “Desperado” uber-roles, but then he downscales everything.

“What had he achieved?” one journalist asked. “I feel I’m just beginning,” Banderas replied.

Had he really opened Hollywood for more Spaniards?  For Spaniards, probably not, maybe for Hispanos.

The Donostia Award?  He’d like to think it’s as much for what he’d achieve in the future as in the past.

Banderas will receive the award, San Sebastian’s career achievement award, from Pedro Almodovar, who discovered him as a curly haired 21-year-old in 1983's “Labyrinth of Passion.”

Almodovar’s presence could be felt in Banderas’ words. Was he disappointed not to gave been cast in the film version of “Nine?”

"En mi corazoncito, porque todo el mundo tiene su corazoncito, si." [“In my heart of hearts, yes.”]  The phrasing is pure Pedro.  Banderas wanted Hollywood. And he got it. Chapeau. He left Spain without knowing hardly any English.

And Hollywood wanted Bardem. They’ve rarely had him, though he’s been attached by the press to a litany of projects. 18 months ago, Variety went through IMDb’s list of Bardem’s future movies: for one reason or another, he wasn’t going to make any of them.

Dressed in sober black, Bardem took a press conference with Woody Allen, Rebecca Hall and pic co-producer Jaume Roures for the Spanish preem of “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” which was warmly received at the fest.

For most of the conference, Bardem’s manner was that of a perfect host, the gentleman hidalgo, welcoming Allen back to Spain. He hardly had to act that: he’s a great bohemian, a great friend to his friends and good causes.

But not everybody recognises that in Spain.

In an interview with The New York Times T Magazine early this month Bardem lamented “The Spanish are tough. They criticise my work and say I sold out. You want to say “Stop it - you’re a bunch of stupid people!”

The passing comment - aimed at a small clutch of Spaniards - nevertheless caused a media maelstrom in Spain, being taken as a national slur.

Even his Oscar-win caused howls of disgust among a minority in Spain’s right.  "I feel I’m on a river in my little boat discovering, developing my art. And beside there’s a channel of sometimes fecal waters, with words, images, acts that I’ve supposedly committed, and the only thing I get is the channel’s stink.”

Javier Bardem said wise and sensible things at the conference.

“Did he improvise the scenes with Penelope?”  No, you don’t really improvise when Woody Allen writes the script, Bardem replied.

Do you imagine Almodovar making “Vicky Cristina Barcelona?"  No, Almodovar makes his own masterpieces, Bardem replied.

But you can bet your bottom dollar that when Bardem’s press conference comments are covered by the press, many will lead with his laments on media coverage. Just Google it in Spanish.


The Variety España team is on the ground in Spain, bringing regular dispatches throughout the San Sebastian Film Festival.

by Maria Alvarez Rilla
Angel Amigo es un histórico en San Sebastián: histórico productor independiente (hizo la magnífica "Fuga de Segovia" de Imanol Uribe, en 1981), histórico factótum del Festival (el Equipo Variety recuerda haber visto su oficina convertida en base de operaciones de emergencia para la prensa internacional) e histórico protagonista y narrador de lo que algún día esperamos que pueda contar como el camino hacia la paz en el País Vasco.

Honesto, valiente y comprometido, y en ese orden, Amigo presentó el martes en San Sebastián "El año de todos los demonios", un documental que indaga en los factores que confluyeron en el momento de la desaparición de Eduardo Moreno Bergaretxe, "Pertur", militante de ETA político-militar, uno de los principales defensores de la opción política frente a la acción armada y antiguo compañero de camino del propio director y productor.

En la presentación, que no abría la opción del coloquio, Amigo hizo honor a su apellido (y disculpen que recurramos a un juego de palabras tan obvio): "me han preguntado muchas veces por qué he retomado la historia de Eduardo treinta y pico años después, como si pudiera haber alguna intención extraña, y no la hay. La razón es muy sencilla: él no está y, además, él hubiera hecho lo mismo".

En la sala abarrotada, un público mayoritariamente compuesto por la generación que vivió los hechos que narra el documental pudo asistir a la proyección de una cinta que, probablemente, será controvertida en España. "La magia del cine es que ha permitido que todos los protagonistas puedan conversar civilizadamente",   dijo con satisfacción. Gracias, Amigo.

Editor's note: The Variety España team is on the ground in Spain, bringing regular dispatches throughout the San Sebastian Film Festival.

by Maria Alvarez Rilla
Esperen un momento: vale, no quiere fotos... ¡pero es Lou Reed!

Parece que el frenesí mediático de la prensa nacional por las estrellas se limita al documento gráfico, y la rotunda negativa de Mr. Reed a posar redujo sensiblemente la ocupación de la sala en la rueda de prensa que ofreció el jueves en San Sebastián junto a Julian Schnabel para presentar "Berlín", inmediatamente después del acribillamiento fotográfico al que fue sometido Samuel L. Jackson.

Sin embargo, Reed regaló la emoción del genio. A veces pasa: algunos intérpretes, actores, músicos, simplemente están y emocionan. No ha ocurrido con la profesionalidad de Gere, ni con el carisma de Mortensen, ni con el encanto desenfadado de Jackson, pero el semblante huraño de Lou Reed hizo la magia desde el instante previo a su entrada.

Dos grandes jarras humeantes y una taza le esperaban. Bebió café con leche incansablemente, y contestó con parsimonia a las preguntas de la sala. Sólo se animó al contestar que era "muy hermoso" que se percibiera la pureza que aportan las voces adolescentes del Brooklyn Youth Chorus a la sórdida historia que narra "Berlín", míticamente apodado el disco más deprimente que se ha grabado nunca.

Soltó una carcajada cuando una periodista le preguntó si había "un tipo de música para cada momento de la vida"."Si lo supiera, la escribiría: la música de la vida", contestó enigmático después de tomarse su tiempo.

Su anfitrión en San Sebastián y director de la cinta, Julian Schnabel ha tomado la ciudad por asalto casi como nunca.

Sus desembarcos son y han sido habituales en la que es la ciudad natal de su mujer, Olatz Garmendia, y  una de sus residencias, pero este año hace triplete: "La escafandra y la mariposa" (que algún cronista nacional ha comparado, favoreciéndola, con "Mar Adentro" de Amenábar), comparte espacio en la sección Perlas de Zabaltegi con la proyección especial de  "Berlín", donde filma el primer directo del mítico álbum de Lou Reed desde 1973.

Además, la antigua Tabacalera, aún sin restaurar, acoge una retrospectiva de su obra, apropiadamente titulada   "Summer"  ("el verano es la época que más me gusta, es cuando más pinto", ha dicho) pese al tiempo otoñal que ya padecemos por aquí.

Reed opinó que "las aventuras musicales de Julian son para él, no para ustedes" (el director, y pintor, también ha grabado un disco que "no, no me sirvió de ayuda para hacer la película", reconoció con bastante cachondeo), pero Schnabel parece puro rock & roll.

Director, surfista, pintor, músico ocasional y evidente bon vivant, desborda energía, creativa y vital. Sobre el carácter deprimente de "Berlín", dijo "aunque el tema sea trágico, el trabajo del artista siempre es optimista". Un día antes, hablando de "La escafandra", ya había declarado que "la vida se va, pero el arte se queda. El arte siempre es optimista."

"Berlín" termina con una excelente versión de "Sweet Jane", con Lou Reed en estado de gracia. "No está en el álbum, como otras piezas que se incluyeron por sugerencia del productor", explicó. "Pero nos parecía una buena manera de salir de la sala alegres,"dijo Schnabel. Y parece imposible no estarlo después de haber disfrutado la película.

Editor's note: The Variety España team is on the ground in Spain, bringing regular dispatches throughout the San Sebastian Film Festival.