Sitges International Film Festival kicks off with the Catalan production ‘Eva’ starring Daniel Brühl

Sitges (ACN).- The Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia started on Thursday and will run until October 16^th. Sitges 2011 is the world’s main film festival specialising in science fiction and horror movies. The movie ‘Eva’, with the German-Catalan actor Daniel Brühl and directed by Kike Maíllo, opened the festival. It is the first time that a Catalan movie kicks off ‘Sitges’, as it is popularly known in the industry. Other Catalan movies are ‘Mientras Duermes’ by Jaume Balagueró, showing the obsession of a gatekeeper with one of his building’s neighbours, and ‘Emergo’ by Carles Torrens, showing the horrors hidden in an apartment taken over by paranormal forces. ‘Eva’ is a reflection of human imperfection, “human’s will to play as gods” and artificial intelligence, explained Brühl. Actually, this edition’s poster pictures the androids Geminoid H1-2 and Geminoid F, created by Hiroshi Ishiguro, professor at the University of Osaka and leader of the ATR Laboratory. This edition wants to pay tribute to Stanley Kubrick’s and Steven Spielberg’s ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’. Hiroshi Ishiguro will offer two conferences at Sitges 2011 and ‘Eva’ opens the festival. ‘Eva’ pictures the story of Alex (Daniel Brühl), a brilliant machine designer who goes back to his place of birth. There, he accepts the mission to finish a project: the creation of a robot child. The movie was shot in Catalan and Spanish in Switzerland and is produced by Catalan companies. ACN talked with Daniel Brühl on Thursday. The actor was born in Catalonia from a German father and a Catalan mother, but grew up in Cologne.

Daniel Brühl became famous with the German film Good Bye Lenin (2003). Some of the films he is also in are ‘Ladies in Lavender’ (2004), ‘The Edukators’ (2004), ‘Salvador (Puig Antich)’ (2006), and ‘The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). However, he is mostly recognised for being the Nazi soldier Frederick Zoller in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglorious Basterds’ (2009). CNA talked with him in Sitges.

What relationship do you have with robots?

I’m scared of robots! I wouldn’t mind having a domo at home, which will tide up everything and cook for me, but I prefer real things. A world without robots.

The movie proves that humans are not imitable. However, there are robots that could be like ‘Eva’, and  we could end up quite close to robots.

We are not perfect. Humans make errors. That’s why the world is in such a state. The movie shows human imperfections and the need we have to be better, to be perfect and the human will to play as gods.

And it’s dangerous…

Of course! And it ends up the wrong way.

What do you like the most about Alex? 

He is a strange guy, lonely, obsessive with what he’s doing, and I like obsessive people, who focus on something. He is smart and has a lot of passion. And this generates a strange feeling because I’m not a scientist at all! With machines and technology I am the clumsiest person in the world.

Alex is a very different character from those you have pictured until now.

Yes, I always try to find very different characters, change genres and mindsets. ‘Eva’ is a completely new experience. It is my first science fiction film. Alex is also a more introverted character, less likable, and less friendly than the rest I have portrayed. ‘Eva’ is also the first futuristic film I have done, which makes it special.

Eva’s entourage is important. Why Switzerland?

[The entourage] is like another character in the movie. It is the perfect entourage because it is isolated, in a strange zone, abandoned but visually beautiful. I had never seen so many kilometres of untouched snow! It is a magical landscape that enriches the movie shots and creates a beautiful atmosphere.

In ‘Eva’ the emotion can be regulated. Have you ever felt the need to do so in any moment of your life?

Of course! I would like to have a sort of gadget enabling me to regulate emotions. My emo levels change a lot, and I could be a little bit more stable!

It's lucky that we cannot do it!

Exactly…

Today ‘Eva’ has been screened for the first time. Are you happy with the result?

I’m extremely happy! It is very difficult to anticipate the result despite the fact of having a good script, especially with science fiction films. The film is technically perfect, and it is a strange mix of science fiction, drama but with some moments of romance. It has many nuances, many layers, and all this is what makes the movie special.

 

EXTRA INFO

Other Catalan movies at the Festival

In Sitges 2011, many Catalan movies will be screened, such as 'Alto Sauce', by Fernando Pomares; 'Amanecidos', by Yonay Boix i Pol; 'Amor Sacro', by Javier Yañez; 'Brutal Relax 3D', by Adrián Cardona, Rafa Dengrá and David Muñoz; 'Corte', by Arnau Pons; 'Coup de Grâce', by Clara van Gool; 'Guía de supervivencia estudiantil', by Joan Marc Sastre; 'La cuerda', by Pablo Solà; 'Leyenda', by Pau Teixidor; 'Mal cuerpo', by Marc Carreté; 'REM', by Javier Ferreiro and María Sosa Betancor; 'Open 24 H', by Carles Torras; 'Rosa', by Jesús Orellana; 'Sabrina', by Sergio Colmenar; 'Sonia', by Guillermo Ruiz; 'Te i fantasmes (Tea and Ghosts)’, by Sintu Amat; 'The Monk', by Dominik Moll; 'Trumpet', by Anna Petrus; 'Under the apron', by Theo Prasidis; 'Uhima-Next', by Jesús Manuel Montané and Joan Frank Charansonnet; 'Versus', by Javier Lozano; and 'Vlogger', by Ricard Gras.