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Meet the Filmmakers: POTTED PALM TREES and A DANCE FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

Redaktion
Redaktion

An interview with the directors Rosa Friedrich, Paula González García and Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez

Meet the Filmmakers: POTTED PALM TREES and A DANCE FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

Describe your film in just one sentence.

Rosa Friedrich: POTTED PALM TREES is a bitter pill wrapped in candy.

Paula González García: In A DANCE FOR THE END OF THE WORLD we’re surfing space and time...

Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez: ... and it’s a room where we can observe our past.

 

If your film were an animal, what animal would it be?

Rosa Friedrich: A peacock.

Paula González García: An owl.

Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez: I would like it to be a dog, definitely!

 

What was the best / funniest / worst thing that happened while shooting this movie?

Rosa Friedrich: My actress got pregnant, so I had to change the story for her. That made it much better.

Paula González García: It wasn’t exactly during the shoot; it was in the documentation process. I remember I was a little obsessed with how we could get in contact with the others during the COVID lockdown. I started to go to a lot of online parties in HABBO Hotel, a virtual environment where you can go as an avatar and talk to other people from all over the world. Everyone was in virtual discotheques singing Shakira lyrics in the chat.

Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez: The most fun for me was being able to work on such a pictorial visual proposal. The worst, without a doubt, was shooting it after the lockdown. It was still a very strange situation.

 

What is your favorite movie quote of all time?

Rosa Friedrich: “Are you talking to me?” — TAXI DRIVER (1976).

Paula González García: I really love a monologue from the film ARREBATO/RAPTURE (1979) by Iván Zulueta. One of the characters is talking about his ecstasy and obsessions and says something like: “I thought I was on the verge of total rapture. ... Segovia–Madrid turned out to be Venus–Pluto. The speeds were added, subtracted, multiplied. So many rhythms, all different, never before seen by me.”

Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez: As a reminder of my early days in film, a quote from THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (2012): “We accept the love we think we deserve.”

Which filmmaker would you like to have a beer with?

Rosa Friedrich: Maren Ade.

Paula González García: I’d love to have a beer with Jacques Demy... and wine with Chantal Akerman!

Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez: I would love to chat with Eric Rohmer or Chantal Akerman. They are two filmmakers I admire and who inspire me greatly.

 

What was the first film you remember seeing at a movie theater?

Rosa Friedrich: ANNALUISE & ANTON (1999).

Paula González García: : I don’t think it was my first film, but the first film I remember seeing in a movie theater was HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE (2001). I was so nervous — in a good way, very excited. Everything — the music, the set, the characters — was magic and amazing.

Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez: A very clear memory I have is of seeing BAMBI (1942), being very small, and crying a lot at the end. Adored it.

 

Was ist Dein Lieblingspartysong?

Rosa Friedrich: „Da Da Da“ by Trio.

Paula González García: “Dónde están las gatas” by Nicky Jam, Daddy Yankee and Alex Gárgolas.

Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez: To start off the evening, it’s always “I want to dance” or “Lemon Tree” by Fools Garden; to end it, all the songs of Jamie xx.

 

If you weren’t a filmmaker, you’d be a ...?

Rosa Friedrich: An actress.

Paula González García: Psychologist.

Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez: I would love to be a cook, yoga teacher, or psychologist.

 

Is this your first visit to Munich? What do you expect from the festival?

Rosa Friedrich: No, it’s not my first visit. I expect to get to know something or somebody.

Paula González García: This is my first time in Munich! I’m so happy and excited, and I confess I’ve done several virtual walks along Munich streets in Google Maps since I found out I was going to participate in this festival! I am very happy to go there. I think it’s the perfect place to meet filmmakers from all over the world and discover new films.

Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez: It’s the first time I’ll be going, and I’m very excited! I really want to get to know the city.

Rosa Friedrich: POTTED PALM TREES - Program 4

Paula González García, Gloria Gutiérrez Álvarez & Andrés Santacruz: A DANCE FOR THE END OF THE WORLD - Program 10

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