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Local stories key to international film success, says Spanish producer
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

Local stories key to international film success, says Spanish producer

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Context piece
  • Spanish producer Manuel Cristóbal stated that films rooted in local stories are key to international success, as they are perceived as exotic and unique.
  • Cristóbal noted that Ibero-American cinema faces challenges in financing and finding its place amid global film production.
  • He highlighted Paraguay's progress in its film industry since the creation of the National Audiovisual Institute less than a decade ago.

Spanish producer Manuel Cristóbal believes that films deeply connected to local narratives hold the key to international recognition. He argues that these locally-rooted stories are perceived as exotic and unique by global audiences, making them stand out.

The projects, the closer and more rooted in the land they are, the more relevant they are for that country and the more exotic they are outside that country. I think that is something that makes projects unique.

— Manuel CristóbalSpeaking about the importance of local narratives in film.

Cristóbal, a five-time Goya Award winner, shared these insights during a conversation with EFE in Asunción, Paraguay. He was serving as the academic director for the first Ibero-American Feature Film Development Workshop, an event supported by the Center for Spanish Culture Juan de Salazar, the National Audiovisual Institute of Paraguay (INAP), and the private production company Tekoha Audiovisual.

I think it has been very positive, because it has allowed for very important development and, above all, it is seeking continuity for that effort, its fruits are already visible and it is about continuing, especially because in the end the films of a country are, in a way, the current language, the audiovisual language and what projects the image of that country.

— Manuel CristóbalCommenting on the progress of Paraguay's film industry.

While acknowledging the challenges Ibero-American cinema faces, including securing funding and competing with the sheer volume of annual film productions, Cristóbal pointed to significant advancements in Paraguay's film industry. He attributed this progress to the establishment of INAP less than a decade prior, an entity dedicated to promoting local production and investment.

It is a very mature, very complete film, it is a very well-directed film, very well acted, very well lit in terms of art direction, above all it is a very consistent film.

— Manuel CristóbalDescribing the Paraguayan film 'Narciso'.

"I think it has been very positive, because it has allowed for very important development and, above all, it is seeking continuity for that effort," Cristóbal stated. He cited Marcelo Martinessi's film 'Narciso' as an "extraordinary" example of Paraguayan cinema, praising its direction, performances, and artistic consistency. However, he cautioned that such ambitious projects might not be the sole path forward for all Latin American productions, suggesting a need to also focus on debut films and shorter projects with more contained budgets.

We have to look for debut films, we have to look for short films, we have to look for projects with more contained budgets sometimes.

— Manuel CristóbalSuggesting strategies for Latin American film productions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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