Realistic, in Catalan and increasingly egalitarian: this is the best Catalan cinema of the 21st century

BarcelonaA list like the one from the survey on Catalan cinema among 200 experts, promoted by ARA, is not only useful for awarding or removing medals from films or directors, but also for studying and analyzing the image left by the votes. If we take the 25 most voted films as a representative sample, a first conclusion is that this canon of Catalan cinema is moving towards parity. There are nine films directed by women in the top 25 of the list, that is, 36%; but if we focus only on the films on this list produced in the last fifteen years, which are those of the great arrival of women in cinema, the percentage of female directors rises to 50%. It is worth noting that among the five most voted films there is only one directed by a woman, and among the ten most voted only three, but this imbalance at the top of the list is compensated, in part, by the significant first position ofEstiu 1993, directed by Carla Simón.

A great linguistic richness is also observed among the 25 most voted films. Catalan is the predominant language: twelve titles, practically half of the list, are in original Catalan version. In addition, there are two films in original French version, one in English, and ten in original Spanish version; as well as some with a medley of languages, such as El silenci abans de Bach (Spanish, German, French, Italian) or Històries de la bona vall, in which a dozen languages are spoken. Another noteworthy feature is the presence of seven opera prima: that nearly a third of the list are film debuts reflects the renewal of authorial voices that has occurred during this century. In fact, there are only eight directors in the top 25 who debuted before 2001: the majority have had their entire careers during the 21st century.

The influence of documentary

From the list, the prominence of documentaries in Catalan cinema stands out. Firstly, due to the presence in high positions of works such as En construcción and De niños, but also due to the influence of documentary language in fictions such as My mexican bretzel –built from an archive of family videos– or in hybrid films between documentary and fiction such as La leyenda del tiempo, Los días que vendrán, La plaga or Entre dos aguas. The influence of documentary is also evident in the predominance of naturalism in performances, both in dramatic films such as Verano 1993, Tres días con la familia, Alcarrás or Extraño río, and even in horror-realist experiments such as [REC]. If we are to characterize Catalan cinema based on the top 25, we could say that it tends towards realism and documentary but also leaves room for experimentation and formal search (El silencio antes de Bach, Honor de caballería, Pacifiction). The scarce presence of the fantasy genre is excessive, with Catalonia being the host of the most important fantasy film festival in Southern Europe and with a significant tradition of authors and companies linked to the genre in our country. There isn't much comedy either: Seis días corrientes, scenes from [REC], and that's it. Catalan cinema is a serious matter.

Of course, a list like this can serve to measure the impact of the directors who appear on it. In this regard, it is worth noting that there are five authors with two titles in the top 25: José Luis Guerin, Carla Simón, Mar Coll, Isaki Lacuesta, and Neus Ballús. However, the most ubiquitous figure is Albert Serra, who has four films among the 25 most voted. That four of his seven films are included attests to the influence and importance that Albert Serra's work has gained in contemporary Catalan cinema; and it's no small feat, considering that, for the general public, he is also the most controversial and divisive Catalan filmmaker of the 21st century.