Spain, Denmark, France
Synopsis
Director's Statement
Before I began to design the film, I had to go back to school. The best film school consists of films and books about cinema. Once again, I read the books and saw the films that marked my years of training. I went back to the classics and modern classics.
Film viewers want to have a good time. They want to be thrilled and moved. They want to be surprised. Surprise is the sap that feeds dramatic interest. The whole process consisted of creating a work that brought together attractive attributes. With Michel Gaztambide and Clara Roquet, co-writers of the screenplay, we went back to the classics. Aristotle was our beacon: “Everything must be surprising and necessary”. Everything has been conceived to invite viewers to really get inside the film and travel with it. The journey is an inner one. Toward the interior of the characters and the viewers.
More than any of my previous films, PETRA has been the result of a very participatory collective process. A central role was played by Bárbara Díez, the producer of the film and my partner in Fresdeval Films. She and I initiated the project and were joined quite generously by José María Morales, Antonio Chavarrías, Jérôme Dopffer and Katrin Pors.
Their contributions enhanced the quality of the film. Thanks to them, we worked with an exceptional crew of Spaniards, French and Danes. It was wonderful to work with Hélène Louvart as DOP and with Kristian Eidnes Andersen for music composition. The cast, headed by Bárbara Lennie and Alex Brendemühl, understood perfectly the contained acting style I wanted. Combining internationally renowned actors like Marisa Paredes with natural actors like Joan Botey was one of the greatest challenges of the film.
Director's Biography
Born in Barcelona in 1970.
After receiving a degree in Business Economics from ESADE, his devotion to film was fostered when he won a scholarship in 1996 to study film at the prestigious International Film and Television School in San Antonio de los Baños (EICTV) in Havana and then at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in Sydney. Since 2000 he has developed all his projects as a director with his production company Fresdeval Films.
Filmography:
2018 - PETRA
2014 _ BEAUTIFUL YOUTH
2012 - THE DREAM AND TEH SILENCE
2008 - BULLET IN THE HEAD
2007 - SOLITARY FRAGMENTS
2003 - THE HOURS OF THE DAY
Cast & Crew
Directed by: Jaime Rosales
Written by: Jaime Rosales, Michel Gaztambide, Clara Roquet
Produced by: José Mª Morales, Antonio Chavarrías, Jérôme Dopffer, Katrin Pors, Barbara Diez
Cinematography: Hélène Louvart
Editing: Lucía Casal
Production Design: Victoria Paz Alvarez
Costume Design: Iratxe Sanz
Make-Up & Hair: Chicha Blanco
Original Score: Kristian Selin Eidnes Andersen
Sound Design: Carlos E. García
Visual Effects: Raúl Romanillos
Cast: Bárbara Lennie (Petra), Alex Brendemühl (Lucas)
Nominations and Awards
- European Actress 2018
- Feature Film Selection 2018