Film industry, according to director Richard Linklater, is losing significance, confined within its own sphere
In the heart of the San Sebastián film festival, held along the Urumea River, between the Kursaal, Teatro Victoria Eugenia, and Hotel María Cristina, American filmmaker Richard Linklater (known for "Boyhood" and the "Before Sunrise" trilogy) is present to discuss his latest work, "Nouvelle Vague".
"Nouvelle Vague" is a film that pours Linklater's love into a time and place perhaps irreplaceable: the explosion of young filmmakers who elevated cinema to the zenith of culture. The film holds significant meaning for Linklater, as it is an affectionate tribute that revives the atmosphere of Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless," which founded the French New Wave and is considered a milestone in film history.
Linklater chose the style of Jacques Rozier for "Nouvelle Vague" because he admires Rozier's films. The film's appearance formally resembles more a Truffaut film than a Godard one. Linklater describes Godard as critical, polemical, full of quotes, and speaking in aphorisms, while also vulnerable and confident. Godard, at some point, even renounced his own principles, including the 'theory of the author' which he and others had elevated the status of the director to that of a total artist.
Esther García, the producer of El Deseo, is also a significant figure at the festival. Known for aiding the careers of Pedro Almodóvar, Lucrecia Martel, and Damián Szifrón, García defines her profession as "a fulfiller of dreams" for others. However, she lamented that today, the offices where decisions are made in television and platforms are still dominated by men.
García appreciates that her profession as a producer is being recognized. In 2018, she received the National Film Award. She recalled her beginnings in the industry, when the audiovisual industry reduced the role of women practically to three professions. "Nouvelle Vague" is one of the films produced by El Deseo that is selected to represent Spain at the Oscars.
The San Sebastián film festival considers cinema as almost everything during its nine-day duration. The Kursaal inauguration gala featured Esther García as its main protagonist. García, who is the producer of "Nouvelle Vague", radiates absolute affection for filmmakers like Godard, Truffaut, Chabrol, Resnais, and Rivette, and also for Rossellini, Bresson, and Melville.
Linklater's presence at the festival is a testament to the international appeal of the San Sebastián film festival and the enduring influence of the French New Wave. With "Nouvelle Vague", Linklater pays homage to a bygone era of cinema, while also breathing new life into its spirit.
