934814391This past Friday, October 7th, the 49th edition of the Sitges Film Festival kicked off. Despite the Opening Gala not starting until the afternoon, bright and early at 8:30 in the morning, the projectors in the different movie theaters were turned on, and we began to watch the first films.
We started with "Tickled" (David Farrier and Dylan Reeve, New Zealand 2016), an interesting HBO documentary about a peculiar tickling competition that hides a tumultuous and sordid universe behind something seemingly innocent. Next, we were able to watch "Are We Not Cats" (Xander Robin, USA; 2016), the strange and suggestive story of two solitary characters who share the hobby of eating their own hair. In "The Lure" (Agnieszka Smoczynska, Poland, 2016), two mermaids live and work in a nocturnal pub, in an original combination of horror, musical, and suspense.
In the afternoon, the time for the Opening Gala arrived, during which its director Ángel Sala made a stand for the fantasy and science fiction genre, and above all for culture as a key element to understanding the world and as a point of union among all of us who inhabit it. It was an emotional evening in which Max Von Sydow received the Festival's Grand Honorary Award with one of the biggest ovations on record. Next, Miguel Ángel Vivas, along with actress Rachel Nichols, presented "Inside" (Spain, 2016), a remake of the French film "A l´intérieur" (2007). Directed by Jaume Balagueró, it is an excellent horror and suspense film, less gory than the original but filmed with a steady hand and energy by Vivas. To conclude the night, we were able to attend the premiere of Nacho Vigalondo's latest film, "Colossal" (Canada, 2016), unpredictable, fun, and original like all of Vigalondo's work, it represents a twist to monster and disaster stories.
The second day began with the screening of "The End" (Guillaume Nicloux, France, 2016), in which an immense (in all senses) Gérard Depardieu gets lost in the forest during a hunting day. The past and guilt act as elements of terror in this surprising and intriguing film. "Un rêve solaire" (Patrick Bokanowski, France, 2016) is an interesting exercise in experimental cinema, shadows and textures combine to create ghostly and mysterious images, a film that captivates and takes you to another sensory level. "Vestigis" (Spain, 2016) is the debut of Iván Morillo, a young man from Rosas who filmed it with a meager budget of 8000 euros. Despite some technical and casting shortcomings, Morillo's proposal is original, uninhibited, and carefree, hinting at a talent that will surely flourish in the future.
"Sam was here" (Christopher Deroo, USA, 2016) is one of the surprises we have seen so far. It is a harsh and forceful film, a cross between "Detour" (1945) and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974), violent, oppressive, and twisted. To end the day, Mateo Gil presented his latest film, the science fiction drama "Lazarus Project" (2016, Spain), an ambitious film that stands out for its excellent script.
The third day began with "Shortwave" (Ryan Gregory Philips, USA, 2016), presenting a strange story that combines science fiction and horror, with a plot focused on a single space. "Tower" is an excellent documentary about a shooting at a school in Texas in 1966. The documentary combines archive footage with animation from a humanist perspective. "The Jane Doe Autopsy" (André Ordeval, United Kingdom, 2016) is so far one of the standout films of the festival. It is a brilliant horror film with a first part that captivates you and doesn’t let you breathe. A classically eerie film excellently directed and performed with suspense, rituals, scares, and many surprises. "David Lynch: the Art of Life" (Various, USA, Denmark, 2016) attempts to answer a question: where do David Lynch's ideas come from? Narrated by Lynch himself, it is a sincere and personal portrait of the filmmaker.
To end the day, actress Barbara Crampton received from director and producer Brian Yuzna the Time Machine Award, in recognition of a career that includes titles like "Re-Animator" (1985) or "From Beyond" (1986). We were also able to watch "Melanie. The Girl with all the Gifts" (Colm McCarthy, United Kingdom, USA, 2016), another twist on the zombie genre starring Paddy Considine and Glen Close, opening new paths in the already well-traveled genre.