Masterpiece

Colour, 35mm
Spain, 2000, 117 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

Director Benito and actor Carolo, a couple of amateur film enthusiasts, are trying to escape their drab daily lives. But the moment they decide to shoot their masterpiece – a Hollywood-style musical film using a Super 8 camera Benito got from his father (a former cameraman) – they risk their chance of living in a world of their own making. They introduce a powerfully realistic element into their surrealistic dreams: a famous actress named Amanda Castro. After they realise that Amanda isn’t thrilled with the script, they decide to kidnap her and force her to co-operate. They try to convince their captive actress of the significance of this “once in a lifetime role,” not realising that she’s as full of complexes as they are – and addicted to cocaine. And thus begins the making of an unconventional film – when it ends they’ll be three different people.

About the director

David Trueba (b. 1969, Madrid) worked as a journalist while also directing the TV entertainment programme The Worst Programme of the Week. He has written two books, Open All Night and Four Friends, translated into German, French, Greek, Portuguese, Dutch and Danish. He wrote screenplays for Emilio Martínez-Lazaro: Amo tu cama rica and Los peores aňos de nuestra vida, for Fernand Trueba: Two Much and Girl of Your Dreams, for Álex de la Iglesia: Perdita Durango, and for Tony Gatlif: I’m Coming. His directing debut, La buena vida was invited to the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes 1997 and won the Special Jury Prize at the 1997 Karlovy Vary IFF. Masterpiece (2000, Obra maestra) is his second film.