"Ambiguity and mystery are the most fascinating things about cinema"

In his latest work, Jaume Claret Muxart explores a metaphor about growth, family ties, identity, and the sexual awakening of an adolescent boy during a hot summer by the Danube. With an unconventional formal approach, Claret faced a shoot with unconventional methods. The use of the 16mm analog format to shoot the film conditioned the entire production, as well as the direction of the actors. Before shooting, the team lived together for months, and many rehearsals were recorded so the director could review them later. “The important thing was to feel that they were truly living the scene,” explains Claret. Often, shots continued beyond what was planned so that the actors had to fill the silences and react naturally.

The relationship with the camera was also worked on during rehearsals; some were even recorded on analog, so the actors would get used to the 16mm. “Jaume told us not to look at the camera, to act as if it wasn't there,” explains Jan Monter, the film's protagonist. Over time, they ended up working “as if the camera were another actor”.

This process particularly marked Monter, who plays Dídac. “Jaume told me the role was mine in a very beautiful letter,” he recalls. During rehearsals, they also worked on the father-son relationship with Jordi Oriol, portraying intimate conversations that ended up inspiring scenes in the film, such as when Albert asks Dídac if he likes boys.

Jan assures that his way of being also helped him build the character: “I'm more of a listener than a talker.” He especially remembers an exercise in which Claret made him imagine situations while he silently observed, sitting on a bench. “From that, I approached the filming with a lot of naturalness and confidence.”

When asked which scene best summarizes the film's essence, Claret chooses the kissing scene. “Something inexplicable appeared there – he says. Ambiguity and mystery are the most fascinating things about cinema.” For Monter, on the other hand, it is the last scene that concentrates the film's meaning: “It’s as if Dídac had already become an adult and passed the baton to his brother.”

A year full of surprises and novelties at the Gaudí Cycle

Strange river is in charge of putting the cherry on top of a first semester at the Cicle Gaudí loaded with national and international success titles such as Sirat, Frontera, Romería, My friend Eva or A Portuguese quintet, persisting in its unique commitment to bring Catalan cinema to cities and towns that do not have access to this big-screen programming.

The Cicle Gaudí, the Catalan Film Academy's project that brings 10 Catalan titles a year to more than 130 venues throughout Catalonia, will return in September with highlights such as

Three Goodbyes or Balandrau and the celebration of its 10th anniversary, an event that promises surprises and notable novelties from next October. More information at www.ciclegaudi.cat