Alan Ball: "I'd rather not know what they do with the bodies when they embalm them."

BarcelonaWith Two meters underground, Alan Ball (Atlanta, 1957) became one of the essential figures in the renewal of television fiction, which, thanks to HBO, came to be considered high-quality culture and not just entertainment. The creator and director, winner of an Oscar for best screenplay for American Beauty, He's been in Barcelona to attend the twelfth edition of Serielizados Fest, a festival where he was the main international attraction.

He's known for writing stories with dark humor and a deep understanding of the human condition. What appeals to him about the balance between these two poles?

— In my youth, I experienced some pretty traumatic situations, and I developed humor as a way to cope. I think that, in a way, humor ends up appearing organically in my work. Books, films, or series that don't have even a hint of humor are difficult for me. As for the human condition, I like to observe people and think about what motivates them. What lies behind them? I practice Buddhism, and developing compassion for others is important to me. Perhaps that has something to do with it.

Two meters underground It was a groundbreaking series. Were you aware that you were doing something unique?

— No, I knew there had never been a series about a funeral home, but it wasn't that strange for me. When I was little, there was a period in my life when different people in my family died one after the other, and I spent quite a bit of time in funeral homes. I was very aware of the surreal atmosphere of those places. Writing the series, I did do a lot of research and learned many things I didn't know and perhaps would have preferred not to know [laughs].

Like what?

— Just what they do to their bodies when they embalm them! But when I was making the series, I had no idea how it would be perceived; I just hoped people would watch it. People at HBO were saying, "How are we going to sell this? It's very dark." And I was thinking, "Do you really think it's that dark?" People were saying the family was very dysfunctional, but I thought there wasn't anyone abusing anyone, or anyone who was an alcoholic or violent. To me, those things are dysfunctional. These characters just buried their feelings and didn't talk about them. Is that so dysfunctional? To me, it's quite normal.

Death was one of the major themes of the series. Why do you think we like to avoid talking about it?

— Because it's scary, because we don't know what's going to happen. The idea of oblivion is terrifying. The idea of your consciousness ceasing is truly frightening, and it's something we strive to ignore, especially in the United States. American marketing culture pretends that death doesn't exist. This is one of the reasons why I set it Two meters underground to Los Angeles: It's the world capital of death denial. One of the reasons I think people connected with the series is because it was never a series about death, but a series about life with the constant presence of death, which is basically life.

Do you think it's a series that could be made today?

— Yes, I think it would be more possible now to do that Two meters underground no American Beautywhich I think would be a very difficult film to make at the present time.

Because?

— For two reasons. First, because of the discomfort generated by an older man's attraction to a much younger woman, which is now considered very taboo. And second, because it should be a television movie since it's not spectacular or big enough for a theatrical release. Perhaps they feel it doesn't have enough appeal to draw audiences to the cinema, whose average age now, at least in the United States, is 15. I can't imagine 15-year-olds going to the cinema to see... American Beauty.

American Beauty It was an in-depth study of suburban life in the United States. How has this lifestyle changed in recent years?

— I'm not entirely sure if things have changed because I don't live in the suburbs, but I do know that the idea of the American Dream, which involves owning a home, has become much less attainable for people. In fact, it seems like a relic that will never return because of the high cost of housing and because America is driven by a thirst for profit. I think younger generations aren't going to experience the American Dream, and that's very unfair.

True BloodIt was a radical change from his previous work. What attracted him to the world of vampires and the folklore of the American South?

— True Blood It was based on a book series, and when I read them I thought, "That's really fun." It was entertaining, somewhat heartbreaking, ridiculous, sexy, romantic, and terrifying. I thought it would be a show I'd watch. It was my attempt to get away from something very intense, because Two meters underground It was like staring into an abyss. In contrast, True Blood She was simply horny. It was escapism, and it was something she had needed.

On television, she began working in sitcoms, a genre that has practically disappeared. Have we lost our desire to laugh?

— I think comedies come and go. There are a lot of them now, but they're not filmed like... sitcomsThe death of the sitcoms It's been announced many times, and then a big hit comes along and they're revived. I think people definitely want to laugh and need something to make them laugh, especially in America. Maybe there aren't many traditional sitcoms like... FriendsHowever, there are 30-minute series that are really funny. I'm thinking of The chair companyon HBO Max, or Nobody wants thison Netflix. There's a fairly unknown series on Disney+ called English teacher, who is really horny.

He was talking about the American Dream. What's it like to live under Trump's second term?

— It's a nightmare. I think he's a psychopath, that he has dementia, and that he's so incredibly narcissistic that he doesn't care about anyone. Furthermore, he has no real understanding of how the government works. Every morning I wake up terrified to watch the news and discover the horrible things he's doing. He's ordering the bombing of ships off the coast of Venezuela without any proof whatsoever that they're carrying drug traffickers. He's dangerous, not just to the United States, but to the entire world.

As a gay man, do you feel threatened?

— I expect them to overturn the right to same-sex marriage, just like they did with the right to abortion. They're doing everything they can to eliminate the civil rights of all minorities, and I don't understand their motivation. It seems like it's just out of cruelty. But so many people are afraid, and Trump has been able to exploit their fears and support things that go against their own interests. So many people don't realize what's happening... It's all so awful that sometimes the only solution is to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

And is he capable of doing it?

— You know the series South Park?

Yes of course.

— Have you been watching it lately? It's what makes me laugh right now.