lunes, 3 de noviembre de 2008

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

LA MULA

I thought it would be sensible to write a general note to put this project, about which I am passionate, into some sort of context.

Over the last twenty five years I have been constructing a trilogy of tragicomedies set in a European context. The central theme is that of humble, ordinary people struggling in a chaotic and often oppressive world to live their simple hopes and dreams. In this struggle of ordinary people to survive and dream in a world that is beyond any human understanding lie all the great themes of humanity. And it is this humanity which is at the centre of each subject: an attempt to see the great shifts and movements of history from a completely individual point of view.

The first of this trilogy was a film I made exactly 25 years ago in Scotland: called “Another Time Another Place”, the story of three Italian prisoners of war and their relationship with a young labourer’s wife. The film was very successful, won Phyllis Logan the BAFTA for most promising newcomer, and won some twenty intenational prizes at film festivals around the world. It made me famous in Italy!

The second was “Il Postino”, which starred Massimo Troisi, was nominated for five Oscars and won over 37 Internationl prizes. Although the film was in Italian, it was extremely successful at the box office all over the world and for a time held the record for the biggest grossing foreign language film of all time.

The third and final film is LA MULA: a story set in the Spanish Civil War and to be shot in Spanish with two of Spain’s biggest young stars, Oscar Jaenada and Maria Valverde. It is, I think, a completely original take on the war, being both human, rather than political, and I hope, extremely funny.

I hope you like it.

Best wishes

Michael Radford

viernes, 19 de septiembre de 2008

martes, 22 de julio de 2008

Recce in Montoro



Alejandra Frade (producer) and José Romero (Environment) near Montoro.

JUAN ESLAVA CASTRO





Juan Eslava Castro during the war. In the film: JUAN CASTRO (Óscar Jaenada)
The film is based on his experiences in Peñarroya's front.

JUAN ESLAVA CASTRO



Juan Eslava Castro, father of Juan Eslava Galán, the author of the novel and to whom the film will be dedicated.

In the real trenches



Michael Radford is holding an old bomb that he found on the real trenches near Peñarroya.

martes, 20 de mayo de 2008

Introducing Valentina and her sister

Hi! 
Take a look at our divas! 
they will both play the role Valentina and will never get tired on set.