Spanish cinema, absent from the official competition section of the Cannes festival, had its particular triumph yesterday in the Cinematographers’ Fortnight, a parallel section of the contest, in which Volveréis, by Jonás Trueba, emerged as the best European film. A big debut for Trueba on the Croisette with her eighth play, a delicious comedy about a film director and an actor who decide to celebrate their breakup with a big party, like a wedding but in reverse. A decision that will baffle friends and family and which Trueba takes advantage of to immerse himself in the complexity of relationships and their reflection in cinema.
The story, starring Itsaso Arana and Vito Sanz, Trueba’s fetish actors and also co-authors of the script, captivated the Quinzena, which is not competitive, but does deliver various recognitions from its partners and sponsors, as in this case the Network of European Cinemas. It is the second year in a row that Spanish cinema has won this award after the recognition of Elena Martín for Creatura in 2023. “Jonás Trueba’s well-crafted and nuanced film has an unusual premise, it tells the story of a couple who adopt an innovative ritual. Before their separation, they choose to celebrate their 14-year relationship with a party. Cleverly and humorously written, the film’s circular structure shows a generous spirit in its inspiring look at human relationships. It is a beacon of positivity and we believe it will attract audiences from all over Europe”, says the jury’s statement.
Trueba, who is in Spain after spending a few days on the French Riviera, received the news with his “happy” and “very surprised” teammates. The award supports the exhibition in more than 3,000 theaters in 39 countries, which will contribute to the international distribution of the film, which arrives in Spanish theaters on August 30. “It’s almost the best prize you can imagine, real, tangible, very practical”, said the director of titles such as La reconquista or Quién lo impide, who added: “It opens up possibilities for the film, which in the end is what it is about, that the films are seen and especially that they reach cinemas, in public spaces, in countries where it is normally very difficult for us to reach. Especially with small films, with independent films like ours”.
Volveréis is full of self-references, although the 42-year-old director from Madrid sees it as “our most fictional film”, as he confessed in a conversation with this newspaper last Sunday, a day before the screening of the work In addition, her father, the Oscar-winning director Fernando Trueba, appears as an actor, who takes on the role of father to the character of Arana, a forty-year-old filmmaker in the midst of a life crisis. The premise of celebrating the end of love arises precisely from an idea of Trueba father and Jonás’ desire to film it. “It was the great challenge of the film, getting it to feel comfortable and that we could laugh about it”, he comments on a story that distills his love for the seventh art and especially for directors of the caliber of Bergman, Truffaut or Rohmer. It is the same Fernando who advises his fictional daughter to read the book El cine, ¿puede hacernos mejores? , by Stanley Cavell. And can “I do think that it makes us better in a humble and modest way”, confesses Jonás.
Trueba, whose debut feature Todas las canciones hablan de mí (2010), earned him a Goya nomination for best new director, is no stranger to French cinema. He has premiered four works here, and with La virgen de agosto he was nominated in the category of best foreign film at the César awards.