Pacifiction director Serra on populism, politicians and Polynesia
Cannes, France, May 27 (EFE).- Catalan filmmaker Albert Serra on Friday broached the topic of populism and the growing rift between “politicians and normal people” during his presentation of Pacifiction, one of the movies tipped for this year’s Palme D’Or in Cannes.
The only Spaniard in competition at this year’s festival, Serra’s latest film has been welcomed enthusiastically by cinephiles for its distinct atmosphere and auteurship
Pacifiction tells the story of a French high commissioner (Benoit Magimel) who is sent to Tahiti, in French Polynesia, and weaves between thriller and soul-searching as it juxtaposes the ideas of paradise and corruption.
“There is an abandonment, a malaise in our societies,” Serra told a Cannes press conference, adding that this situation helped explain the rise in populism.
“The film is fiction, there is a very pronounced artificial side to it, an improbable side,” he continued.
He added, however: “There is a certain element of human observation, thoughts about current events and contemporary themes but at the same time pure cinematic fantasy, always trying to avoid clichés.”
The lead character is spontaneous and in constant movement, someone who takes to the sea in his suit and passes the evenings in a nightclub, conjuring scenes reminiscent of David Lynch.
While the film naturally explores ideas of colonization through the relationships of its characters, Serra insisted he was not focused on the form of representing history.
“I’m really focused and concentrated on creating the future. I’m thinking about the specificity of cinema images and in which aspect these images can be richer and more interesting than all the other images we have nowadays like platforms, TV series or internet or whatever,” he said.EFE
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