JA Bayona, director of “The Snow Society”: “To be against national cinema is to be against the country”

Despite this overwhelming success and having already started several projects, Bayona is still not sure what her next big screen release will be.

“We are working on other films, but I still haven’t had the time or the peace of mind to decide which one we’re going to do. There are some real stories out there, but I’m still not sure.”says the Spanish director to El Comercio, during his recent appearance at the Platino Xcaret Awards.

Among the feature films in which he is immersed as a producer, the new film by Agustín stands out Díaz Yanes “A ghost in the battle”, a Netflix political thriller that tells the story of a civil guard who works as an undercover agent within ETA for more than 10 years. The film is inspired by the lives and experiences of several members of the Civil Guard directly involved in the fight against terrorism.

Bayona also co-produces “Vieja loca,” a psychological thriller with which, he says, he fulfills his lifelong dream of “working with the incredible Carmen Maura.” The actress plays the role of Alicia, a woman with senile dementia.

When mentioning this Spanish-Argentine co-production, the Catalan director takes the opportunity to refer to the Argentine film industry, which these days is involved in a virtual deliberative state based on the new policy that Javier Milei’s government wants to implement in the National Institute. of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (Incaa).

“The first images of Argentine references that I remember are the films of Aristarain and Eliseo Subiela. We argued a lot in film school about these. Cinema is a very powerful and fundamental tool of expression for a country. And to be against national cinema is to be against the country. So, Argentina, here we are. They are not alone. We are here to support you”, he emphasized.

Powerful bet

Likewise, he highlighted the impact of “The Snow Society” on the world, a film that, he assures, invites us to reflect on issues that cross the human condition, such as psychology in extreme situations, resilience and solidarity; without attempting to offer definitive answers, but rather stimulating the viewer to question and reflect.

The film, directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, is based on real events about the 16 survivors of the tragedy in the Andes in 1972, among them, members of an amateur Uruguayan rugby team.

“When you put together all those questions that they asked themselves in the mountains, trying to answer them is impossible. Finally, we chose not to cover the story from the intellectual but from the emotional: to place the viewer inside that plane, and that the objective was not to answer those questions, but for them to ask them at the end of the film.“, Explain.

“That more than 250 million people have seen it on the platform is overwhelming, and that it has brought 700,000 viewers to the cinema makes me very happy,” he emphasizes.