Saura, with more than 40 films behind him, has talked in the FICARQ about one of his lastest works, the documentary "Renzo Piano, an architect for Santander", where we will see the construction process of the Botin Centre in Santander, designed by the italian architect.
In his conversation with METALOCUS he tells us something of his vision of architecture, the process of the documentary and his photography, one of his passions.
In his conversation with METALOCUS he tells us something of his vision of architecture, the process of the documentary and his photography, one of his passions.
L.M. What role plays architecture in your work as a director?
C.S. I'm very obsessed with the stage design, especially in musicals. But I came to the conclusion when I made the film "Sevillanas" (1991), that anything behind the singing and flamenco dancing was useless, superfluous. So I decided to create aluminum mobile structures covered with semitransparent plastic that could be light up from both sides. They are elements very easy to handle and very architectural that allow me to create different environments.
I have also used such elements when I directed operas. This year I did a play in Valladolid which dealt with the relationship of flamenco and India, and also used this type of elements together with projections.
L.M. What is your relationship with architecture?
C.S. I know contemporary architecture, from Le Corbusier or Mies to the most modern architects like Frank Gehry. There was a time when I was very fascinated by the architecture of Mies, by his skyscrapers in New York.
Right now, there are a number of architects who seem to want to be sculptors. It seems they do not care too much about the interiors, and they do not ask for experts’ advise to make the buildings according to the mechanisms required for their use.
I've been doing the opera Carmen twice in Valencia, in the City of Arts and Sciences of Calatrava and is a project that I really like, despite all the critics. I was rehearsing the opera Carmen when it was flooded, it was a disaster, computers and many costumes soured. Anyway, these things can happen to anyone. There is a river running below the building and rivers have their whims. These are things that can happen.
L.M. At what stage is the documentary "Renzo Piano, an architect for Santander"?
C.S. The works were paralyzed a year ago for a number of reasons but the building is intended to end in July and I will film the end of the documentary. I am very interested in the whole process: foundations, why the building is located there, the relationship between it and the city of Santander ... In July I have an appointment with Renzo to see the it finished but I would have liked to wait to see the building in use, to show how are the different spaces lived. I'm not interested in just show the finished work.
L.M. Today we can see exposed a series of your pictures in the Circle of Art in Barcelona. What do you most want to capture with the camera?
C.S. The 90 photos displayed in Barcelona belong to a set of photographs I took of the poorest and most isolated Spain during the dictatorship. The german publisher Steidl contacted me to publish a book that has been called "The Spain of the 50’s" and the exhibition includes a sample of the nearly 300 photos that collects the publication. I am interested in everything about photography, I have almost 700 cameras at home and thousands photographs, but I consider myself an amateur photographer. I know the technique, but do not want to specialize in anything and to be a good photographer you must be specialized.
En su conversación con METALOCUS nos cuenta algo de su visión de la arquitectura, del proceso del documental y de una de sus pasiones, la fotografía.
C.S. I'm very obsessed with the stage design, especially in musicals. But I came to the conclusion when I made the film "Sevillanas" (1991), that anything behind the singing and flamenco dancing was useless, superfluous. So I decided to create aluminum mobile structures covered with semitransparent plastic that could be light up from both sides. They are elements very easy to handle and very architectural that allow me to create different environments.
I have also used such elements when I directed operas. This year I did a play in Valladolid which dealt with the relationship of flamenco and India, and also used this type of elements together with projections.
L.M. What is your relationship with architecture?
C.S. I know contemporary architecture, from Le Corbusier or Mies to the most modern architects like Frank Gehry. There was a time when I was very fascinated by the architecture of Mies, by his skyscrapers in New York.
Right now, there are a number of architects who seem to want to be sculptors. It seems they do not care too much about the interiors, and they do not ask for experts’ advise to make the buildings according to the mechanisms required for their use.
I've been doing the opera Carmen twice in Valencia, in the City of Arts and Sciences of Calatrava and is a project that I really like, despite all the critics. I was rehearsing the opera Carmen when it was flooded, it was a disaster, computers and many costumes soured. Anyway, these things can happen to anyone. There is a river running below the building and rivers have their whims. These are things that can happen.
L.M. At what stage is the documentary "Renzo Piano, an architect for Santander"?
C.S. The works were paralyzed a year ago for a number of reasons but the building is intended to end in July and I will film the end of the documentary. I am very interested in the whole process: foundations, why the building is located there, the relationship between it and the city of Santander ... In July I have an appointment with Renzo to see the it finished but I would have liked to wait to see the building in use, to show how are the different spaces lived. I'm not interested in just show the finished work.
L.M. Today we can see exposed a series of your pictures in the Circle of Art in Barcelona. What do you most want to capture with the camera?
C.S. The 90 photos displayed in Barcelona belong to a set of photographs I took of the poorest and most isolated Spain during the dictatorship. The german publisher Steidl contacted me to publish a book that has been called "The Spain of the 50’s" and the exhibition includes a sample of the nearly 300 photos that collects the publication. I am interested in everything about photography, I have almost 700 cameras at home and thousands photographs, but I consider myself an amateur photographer. I know the technique, but do not want to specialize in anything and to be a good photographer you must be specialized.
En su conversación con METALOCUS nos cuenta algo de su visión de la arquitectura, del proceso del documental y de una de sus pasiones, la fotografía.
