04/02/2010

It’s not easy these days finding a slot in Daniel Sánchez Arévalo’s calendar, as he is completely immersed in preparing his third feature, which will be entitled Primos (“Cousins”), as producer José Antonio Félez revealed to Cineuropa (see interview).

Kicking off in about three months, in May, the seven-week shoot will take place in Cantabria.

After the immense complexity (in every sense) of his previous work, Gordos [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Daniel Sánchez Arévalo
Interview with Daniel Sánchez-Arévalo,…
film profile] (11-month shoot, actors who gained and lost over 20 kilos), the Madrid-born director-screenwriter felt the need to “make a comedy-comedy, embark on a more down-to-earth project, a small and simple film, but not however lacking in ambition”.

This emphasis on simplicity doesn’t mean it is a lesser project. Quite the opposite is true. The director’s involvement will be even greater, if such a thing is possible, for as well as writing and directing, he will co-produce alongside Félez in the first production by Atípica Films.

The story revolves around three cousins, who return ten years later to the village where they spent their summer holidays during their childhood and adolescence.

Two of the three cousins have already been cast: Raúl Arévalo and Quim Gutiérrez, who are regular faces in Sánchez Arévalo’s films. They will appear alongside Antonio de la Torre, another regular collaborator of the director, and young actress Clara Lago (For the Good of Others [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]).

The importance of the acting in Sánchez Arévalo’s films is immeasurable and, for actors, working with the director has become synonymous with glory. Between them, DarkBlueAlmostBlack [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2006) and Gordos (2009) garnered no fewer than nine Goya nominations in the acting categories.

The director doesn’t hide this aim of his work and explained that Primos “is a character-driven film. Great performances start with the script, and I wrote these characters whilst thinking about them”.

(Translated from Spanish)