Z365" or "Festival all year round" is the new strategic point of the Festival in which converge investigation, accompaniment and development of new talents (Ikusmira Berriak, Nest); training and cinematic knowledge transfer (Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, Zinemaldia + Plus, Filmmakers' dialogue); and investigation, disclosure and cinematic thought (Z70 project, Thought and Discussion and Research and publications).
La isla mínima by the Spanish director Alberto Rodríguez, a film noir set in the deep south of Spain in the early 1980s, opened the competitive section yesterday. Asked why he chose to set his film in this particular period, Rodriguez stressed the parallels between Spain in 2013 and in 1980, with a serious economic crisis, a debate on the territorial model of the state and a huge controversy about the abortion law. However, he explained that the definitive key element in the film was provided by an ex-policeman who advised them during shooting and pointed out the arguments in the police force at that time about their investigation methods which needed to be adapted to meet the changing political situation.
Rodriguez claimed that he had aimed to make a classic thriller with a certain degree of moral ambiguity and acknowledged the influence of film noir on La isla mínima; something quite logical in a period of crisis to a certain extent, given that this is a genre that reflects the darkest side of our society.
Actor Raúl Arévalo warned Rodriguez about certain similarities between his film and the series “True detective”, but the director pointed out that he couldn’t possibly have been inspired by the latter as they had already finished shooting by the time it was first screened on TV.