ÜBER MOTION UND EMOTION: FILMEMACHERIN NUR CASADEVALL IM INTERVIEW
Wenn das bewegte Bild und die Dimension der Zeit auf das Thema der Mode treffen, wird neben dem Körper auch der Charakter der handelnden Figuren oft unter einer dicken Schicht Stoff vergraben. Nicht so bei Regisseurin Nur Casadevall. Die Spanierin dreht Modefilme, die nicht nur mit dem großen Zeh die Oberfläche ihrer Protagonisten abtasten, sondern gleich ganz in die Tiefen des Pools der Emotionen eintauchen. Filme, in denen die Figuren ihre Gefühle in vermeintlich unbeobachteten Ausdruckstanz oder schwere Melancholie verwandeln. Ein Sprung vom emotionalen 10 Meter Brett, der erst großen Respekt und dann pures Glücksgefühl bringt.
Mit dem Bruch der vierten Wand, wie ihn die in Barcelona lebende Filmemacherin immer wieder verwendet, fällt auch die so oft eigens errichtete Fassade vor die Füße der Figuren. Sie schildern ihre Geschichten, Probleme und Herausforderungen aus dem Off und zeigen dem Zuschauer so ganz ehrlich die Bruchstellen ihres Lebens.
Nur Casadevalls Leben selbst findet vor allem in Spanien statt. In Barcelona studierte sie Film, zeigte ihren ersten Kurzfilm “Lina” bei den 19. Filmfestspielen von Malaga und setzte ihre visuelle Sprache bereits für Kunden wie Numéro oder den Modefotografen Txema Yeste ein. Wie wichtig ihr Charakterentwicklung, das visuelle Stimmungsbild und Mode im filmischen Kontext sind, hat sie im Interview erzählt.
You seem to use films as a catalyzer for your own thoughts. Did you always know they could be that kind of release for you?
Actually no. Choosing directing as a career was something very instinctive for me, I didn’t think about it that much, it just felt right. But studying film completely changed my views! To understand cinematography and the culture of cinema opened my mind and made films an extremely important part of my life. Now I’m thinking about films and in a cinematic way all day every day.
How important is that kind of intuition for the creation of your characters, which are so essential to your movies?
It’s super important! I like to create characters I can identify with, so I’m always just naturally guided by what feels right for me. Ultimately, they are a reflection of the way I feel and the environment I live in. I like to visualize my feelings and those of the people around me. That’s why my characters say or do things that most people don’t dare to say or do.
Why do you think so many people don’t dare to truly be themselves?
In the society we live in today the sense of so many things has just gotten lost because there is a lot of pressure, especially for younger people, to fit in. With social media for example we only look for the approval of people, to feel important, to calm some sort of anxiety. And that approval comes easier if you fit into the norm.
Do you feel like working so closely with fashion adds something to that complexity you want to bring across or does it make you feel limited?
I actually feel very free when working with fashion because it has such a huge artistic component to it. But you still have to be careful to portray people, especially women, as persons with depth, not just someone wearing pretty clothes. Ultimately, I think fashion should just be a tool to tell a greater story and not the main character. Although it can certainly help to create a story around a character, because the way you dress says so much about you.
You put quite a lot of thought behind your characters, how do you want people to perceive them?
I would like them to just dive into the atmosphere and the characters I created. They should watch my films with an open mind, no expectations and the will to just let go.
Is your aesthetic influenced by your goal to create those intimate moments?
My cinematic style arose from my wish to contrast very composed shots and the deepness of my characters. If you mix those two together, they create a very interesting dynamic, the beauty of “realness”. I also like to use voice-overs as a connection between the visuals and what one or more people are feeling underneath. To shake things up I switch between composed and more active shots, changing the format or breaking the fourth wall.
Do you feel like sharing your films online makes it easier for more people to see them or more difficult?
For me, the Internet has been THE MEDIUM. Without it, I think there wouldn’t be a way to show my films.
Nicht verpassen: die Filme von Nur Casadevall gibt es auf ihrem Vimeo-Kanal
Von Trisha Balster