A few days before the start of the Seville European Film Festival, to be held from November 5th to 13th in the capital of Seville, presented the promotional campaign for its 18th edition. For yet another year, the campaign comes from actor and director Paco Campano (Seville, 1977), who since 2014 has shaped one of the Festival's most acclaimed, celebrated and viral communication elements, whose conceptual axes are humour, Sevillian culture and film references.
We chatted with Paco Campano, director of the spot, who revealed some details about the creation and production process of his work.
Paco Campano
Although at first glance this year's Seville Festival promo may seem very simple conceptually, perhaps even prosaic, almost as if the only thing this striptease is telling us is that we're unveiling the secrets and mysteries of this year's Seville Festival, there are in fact two key ideas behind it.
Since last year I've been obsessed with an image that could somehow represent the exit from this period we've all been through with COVID, that return to normality, that letting go of all the shackles we had... and it seemed that the reference to Barbarella's striptease, iconic in our minds, very naive, ingenuous, seemed like a fantastic way to represent that. Without making a direct reference, but to make the audience feel the reassurance of going back to the cinema and going back to the theatres.
On the other hand, I tried to escape from referring directly to the film and make a representation of this striptease that took place inside a spaceship, with a physical set - as I said before - very naive, which is formed in a sort of spatial fall towards Seville, noticeable in the last shot when it falls into the hole that remains in the alley. That fall somehow also represents the arrival in Seville of the strange, of the fantastic, of something different from what we know, which for me is what the festival represents for the city. Suddenly the festival becomes a door through which a lot of different worlds enter, and that is also there in a way.
The first idea came up with the intention of doing two spots, one with a boy and the other with a girl... the thing is that, on the one hand, I didn't want to work twice as hard (he laughs), I already had enough work doing one spot... and, on the other hand, we needed someone with strength and energy who understood it well and knew how to represent it perfectly. Then José Luis and I thought of Greta, and she accepted and saw it so clearly that we didn't need to look for anyone else. Greta is connected on the one hand with modernity, and on the other she has such a direct connection to our sense of humour that it's fantastic. She has, basically, directed herself and has achieved that weightlessness effect that the promo has, she has achieved it on her own without the need for special effects. She also decided to get her mother, Anna Jonsson, to make the costume. It was fantastic to have her on board.
We also interviewed Greta, the star of the spot and Paco's great ally in achieving the marvellous results.
Greta García Jonsson
Paco called me and told me about Jane Fonda and Barbarella, so I immediately accepted. I'm a dancer and the challenge was a lot of fun. We thought about how to achieve the weightless effect and we came up with some crazy ideas. In the end a very simple and subtle body work was the best option.
We filmed directly on the ground and I just thought I was flying under the effect of some sort of narcotic (she laughs). I was rolling and trying not to put my feet or hands on the ground and I wasn't slowing down any of my joints... like when you're in the water, your body is soft and in constant movement.
The main thing, apart from the quality of movement, was the costume. And as a regular collaborator in my stage work, without a doubt, I thought of Anna Jonsson, a multifaceted plastic artist, and also my mother. It had to be a consistent and galactic costume that contrasted with the rawness of the flesh, as well as being easily removable in parts. Nothing simple. We managed somehow to obtain a suit capable of taking me to the moon in the warmest possible conditions. Paco, Anna and Dani quickly came to an understanding and it was a real pleasure. It's an honour to be Jane Fonda at the SEFF.
Oh, I must also add that Sarah Cáceres, who did the hair and make-up, is really cool. The whole team was a delight!.
