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 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
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.