MOVIES
Proud of national cinema by Bárbara González “There’s talent, and a lot of it.” With these words Enrique González Macho supports Spanish cinema, which is little valued, he says, by film watchers from our own country. Perhaps because no one is a prophet in his or her own land, “we are critical of and cruel with our own,” he says. The new president of the Spanish Academy of Cinema is in the middle of taking over control at the institution. He says he has been surprised by the “frenetic activity.” This new stage looks as if it will follow a similar path, given that “there are many things that are fine and it’s not a case of changing them.” González Macho aims to unite all the sectors -production, distribution and ancillary companies, among others-, because “we are in the same boat and we have to row in the same direction”. The ‘controversial’ legacy of his predecessor in the job, Álex de la Iglesia, weighs and generates intrigue as to how to channel among producers, distributors and film exhibitors the much argued subject of author’s rights on the web. Asked the obvious question, he insists on differentiating the web surfer from those who “feather their own nests from the work of the rest: the pirates.” “We are in favour of content being available on the Internet, of the best quality possible, and at affordable prices, but it must be legal and respect the rights of the author.” Proud of Spanish products, he praises directors and actors. However, he knows it is a hard profession as “there are many who are called forward but few who are chosen.” Defender of film as both culture and entertainment, he underlines its function as a generator of emotions and points out that its goal is to get “the public to have a good time: if it’s a drama, for them to cry a lot and if it’s a comedy to laugh a lot.”
“Talento hay, y mucho”. Con estas palabras apoya Enrique González Macho el cine español, poco valorado, dice, por los propios espectadores de nuestro país. Quizá por lo de que nadie es profeta en su tierra, asegura que “somos críticos y crueles con lo nuestro”. El nuevo presidente de la Academia de Cine se encuentra en pleno despegue al volante de la institución. De ella le ha sorprendido “su frenética actividad”. En esta nueva etapa, que se perfila continuista ya que “hay muchas cosas que están bien y no se trata de cambiarlas”, González Macho pretende reunir a todos los sectores -producción, distribución o empresas auxiliares, entre otras entidades- porque “vamos en el mismo barco y tenemos que remar en el mismo sentido”. El `polémico’ legado de su predecesor en el cargo, Álex de la Iglesia, pesa y genera intriga acerca de cómo encauza el productor, distribuidor y exhibidor de cine el discutido tema de los derechos de autor en la Red. Ante la obligada pregunta, insiste en diferenciar al internauta del que “se lucra con el trabajo de los demás: el pirata”. “Estamos a favor de que haya contenidos en Internet, de la mejor calidad posible y a precios asequibles, pero que sean legales y respeten los derechos de autor”. Orgulloso del producto nacional, alaba los directores y actores españoles. Sin embargo, sabe que es una profesión dura ya que “son muchos los llamados y pocos los elegidos”. Defensor del cine como cultura y entretenimiento, hace hincapié en su función como generador de emociones y apunta que “se trata de que el público lo pase bien: si es un drama, que llore mucho y si es una comedia, que ría mucho”.
Enrique G. Macho is the President of Spain’s Academia de Cine: “Few European countries have so many actors so well placed in the Mecca of cinema”. www.academiadecine.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKEL CANO
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