Spanish director Pilar Palomero made waves with her first feature, Schoolgirls when it premiered at the Berlinale in 2020 in Generation Kplus. It went on to win best film in Málaga, an important showcase of Spanish films, and four Goya awards for best film, director, screenplay and cinematography.
She was in San Sebastián this month with La Maternal, her second feature, produced by Inicia Films and BTeam Pictures, with whom she made Schoolgirls. In fact, it was Incia’s Valérie Delpierre who suggested she looked into the story of a home that shelters teen mothers, a story that became La Maternal. Elle Driver is handling sales and BTeam is distributing in Spain.
How did you make La Maternal so soon after your first feature, Schoolgirls?
In a way, this film is the product of the pandemic. I had done the research before the pandemic started, but we had to hold the promotion of Schoolgirls because of Covid and I started writing and writing, coming up with the first version of the screenplay fairly soon.
In terms of plot and themes, the idea came from Valérie Delpierre, one of the producers. She has a friend who is a social worker and that’s how she found out about the home for teenage girls who get pregnant and offers them shelter. We started doing some research and we met the people in charge of this home. It was a long process that involved talking to a lot of women that had been mothers in their teens. I was fascinated by their stories and realises most of what I previously thought I knew was based on prejudice and clichés. I saw each and every one of these women deserved their own film.
Both of your features so far deal with adolescent characters. Why do you feel drawn to this topic?
Puberty is a rich source of stories. The moment in which we realise how the world changes.
How would you describe the feel of the film?
The idea was to make the whole film so it felt it was not scripted. As a filmmaker and as a cinephile I don’t like to label films as “documentaries” or “fiction features”, the boundary between them is blurry. My goal is to capture life. Not necessarily improvised, but as truthful as possible.
How did you cast the film?
It was a very long process and complicated because it happened during the pandemic. It went on for months. We found Carla Quílez, who plays the 14 year-old lead, on Instagram. She dances and she posts videos. We did a lot of castings with her because she carries the film. I found her fascinating. During the shoot she proved not only that she could be a great actress but was also a constant source of wonderful surprises.
You have worked with Inicia Films and BTeam Pictures again. How important is for a filmmaker to establish solid and durable relationships when it comes to producing?
It feels like family. We understand each other and we share common ground on what kind of cinema we like. As producers, they respect the needs of every project. In La Maternal I knew I would need as much time as possible for the shoot. In Schoolgirls, it was about the casting process that needed to be longer than usual. We share decisions and doubts. The risk is that a director and a producer end up making two different films. I have never experienced that, but it can happen.
Your name is always on the list of women directors shaping the new wave of Spanish filmmakers, alongside those of Carla Simón or Clara Roquet to quote a few, what are the key aspects that have made it possible in your view?
There are different factors at play: policies supporting work made by women in the industry’s public funding schemes; a change of mentality in society and more women directing. The more there are, the more will come.
I remember when I was studying film, the number of women directors that were known, working and visible, were very few. The temptation was to think, why bother if I’ll never make it. When Mar Coll won the Goya for best new director in 2010 it was very inspiring to see a girl your age making her dream come true. It all adds up. I believe the success of Carla Simón’s Summer 1993 helped me the same way I hope a film like Schoolgirls helped other new women directors.
No comments yet