'I wanted to take risks, try new forms, trust more in silence and what happens off-screen. I didn’t want to explain the characters psychologically, but to observe them. Where 'I, Addict' screamed, 'This Solitude' whispers,' says Giner Basque director Javier Giner‘s “This Solitude” (“Esta Soledad”) recently premiered at the San Sebastián Film Festival’s New Directors section on Sept. 23.
Giner is the creator and co-director of the Disney+ series “I, Addict,” based on his autobiographical book by the same name. It earned lead actor Oriol Pla the International Emmy for Best Actor. Also starring Pla, “This Solitude” follows Leo and Lorea after their five-year relationship has ended.
Each of them has to figure out how to continue living life on their own in Bilbao. Leo is a struggling actor who has to work as a grocery clerk to make ends meet while taking care of his disabled father. Lorea is a troubled writer who looks to a former prison inmate for companionship.
Both must confront their loneliness and unresolved issues and look for meaning in a world that can sometimes feel cruel and scary. Loneliness may be one of the few truly democratic things in life; what isn’t democratic are the resources we have to survive it,” Giner told Variety. The film stars Pal, Marina Salas (“Join Me for Breakfast”), Gemma Martínez, Kai Etxaniz and Itziar Lazkano.
Giner co-wrote the film with Luisa Matienzo, who is also one of the film’s producers along with Miguel Torrente. The production companies are Balance Media Entertainment, Fuga de Cuerpos, La Embajada TV and Basajaun Filmak. International sales are being handled by Filmax and they will release the film theatrically in Spain on Oct. 30.
Variety interviewed Javier Giner after the film’s premiere in San Sebastián. There is a loneliness epidemic around the world and this film seems to address it. Javier Giner: I didn’t set out to make a film about the loneliness epidemic.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
