01/09/2002 - Chus Gutierrez’s Poniente teaches us that love can really conquer all. A passionate love story set against a story of mass emigration

Poniente by Iberian director Chus Gutierrez (selected for Controcorrente) is set in the 1960s when poverty forced numerous Andalusians to seek a better life for themselves. The director makes a comparison between the past and the present as she analyses the origins of this sad phenomenon. “Although my film is set in a specific time and place, it is about an issue that we all share,” said Gutierrez at the press conference in Venice.
Poniente is a complicated story about people coming to terms with the difficulties of creating new lives for themselves and it fits perfectly into a present-day context. Gutierrez’s filmmaking skills are powerfully evocative. “I collected all the information I could about emigration, even to the extent of finding out what sort of feelings of abandonment emigrants experience. I created strong and passionate characters for a story that was true but not real,” continues the director.” Lucia and Curro return to their native land after many years spent abroad only to find a place that has little or nothing in common with their memories. Poverty is a thing of the past and a new wave of immigrants has changed the face of society for ever. Lucia’s initial reaction to this is one of fear and diffidence, but all that changes after she meets and falls passionately in love with Curro. “I believe that love has the power to give you back your hope and find your special place on this earth,” said Gutierrez.

(Translated from Italian)