A crazy Dream

MEDIA BUSINESS SCHOOL

Between 1994 and 1997 I produced almost 50 films, which kept me in a constant state of frenzy. With the help of Antonio Saura, Enrique de las Casas and Fernando Labrada, I was able to set up the Media Cultural Foundation and Business School, these being European initiatives that, like many films I produced, were a source of much satisfaction for me. After ten years of organizing workshops, conferences, seminars and meetings between young producers and candidates for executive positions in the movie and TV sector, I made hundreds of new friends throughout the whole of Europe. Presiding over an institution whose management has included such distinguished personalities as David Puttnam, Pinto Balsemâo and Bo Christenser, to mention just a few, filled me with satisfaction and pride. But, above all, it provided me with knowledge that has helped me distance myself considerably from other colleagues, friends and competitors who produce films in Spain.

As far as generating envy is concerned, my passage through and association with PRISA from 1991 to 1995 is worth noting. During that period I was able to produce films easily thanks to "Belle Époque" winning the Oscar as well as the good will of PRISA's management. But my most pleasant memories of those days are associated with Santiago Roldán, "El Curri", who from his position in Sogetel and Sogepaq made me happy both on a professional and personal level. His death filled me with grief. That and my friendship with Pedro Pérez encouraged me to "switch sides" by joining Telefonica, with whose managers I got on rather well.

CONCHA GARCÍA CAMPOY

CONCHA Gª. CAMPOY.

The television channels have labeled me as a good producer although it would seem that only bad producers can make successful conventional television programs. I have only managed to produce TV movies on rare occasions, though always with very good results. Both "Los Pazos de Ulloa" (The Manors of Ulloa) and "Los Cuentos de Borges" (The Short Stories of Borges) were prestigious and high quality series, produced at the time when Spanish Television (TVE) had the monopoly over the sector, which therefore meant they were exempt from the compelling obligations that audiences impose. I produced the TV series "Petra Delicado" which, apart from being a source of torture for Ana Belén and Santiago Segura, enabled me to get to know two wonderful people and creators: Alicia Giménez-Barlett, the series scriptwriter, and Julio Sánchez Valdés, its director. I also produced the TV series "La gran ilusión", directed and presented by Concha García Campoy, with Luis Alegre as co-director. 

 

 

 

LUIS ALEGRE 01 

LUIS ALEGRE

 

Apart from the success of some of my films, perhaps one of the happiest moments of my life was on May 17th 1998, when the Cannes Festival paid homage to me. At that event the movies "El Dorado", "El sueño del mono loco" (The Mad Monkey) and "Perdita Durango" were screened again and a dinner was given in my honor, with memories, speeches and all the things that such events include. Thanks to Gilles Jacob and the support of José María Otero and Carmelo Romero from ICCA (The Institute of Cinematography and the Audiovisual Arts) I felt like a king for a day. Some of my best friends, actors and directors whom I have always liked very much were all there. Only Fernando Trueba and Cristina didn't attend the event as they were filming in Prague "La niña de tus ojos" (The Girl of your Dreams).

The box office takings of the movie "Torrente 2: Misión en Marbella" (Mission in Marbella) arrived while I was writing these notes. It is impossible to separate that film from its leading character, Santiago Segura. I sense that, in the future, we will evaluate the importance of that success. My relationship with Segura, which hasn't always been an easy one, has been very beneficial for me though and José Luis Torrente, specifically, will pursue and protect me for some time. 

When I turned fifty and returned from Hollywood with the Oscar for "Belle Époque", I thought I'd consumed half of my potential working life and that I was starting the second half wherein new expectations and dreams would propel me forward. New times that I'm still sharing with my sons, Christian, Marco and José too, and my loyal collaborators, hoping they'll eventually take over the projects I have launched.