Official Competition (2021) - full transcript

HAPPY 80TH, DON HUMBERTO

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I couldn't sleep last night.

I was thinking and thinking.

Alright...

How do people see me?

How do they see me?

As a man who started from nothing

and today is a leader
in the pharmaceutical industry

and feeds almost 10,000 families.

What do I care about that?



I'll tell you how they see me.

As a millionaire,

with an obscene fortune,

but with no prestige.

Well, through your foundation
you've helped to set up projects...

Everyone knows
what foundations are for.

That building is practically unused.

I've turned 80.

I want to be remembered differently.

I don't know,

to do something that lasts.

A bridge, for example,

designed by a famous architect.

A bridge with my name on it.



To finance it,
then donate it to the State.

The Humberto Suárez Bridge.

Or if not, a movie.

A movie?

You want to direct a movie?

No, you idiot,
how can I direct a movie?

To finance a movie.

To be the maker.

So that people know I'm behind it.

But not any movie.

A great movie,

with a great director,
famous actors,

with the best.

A movie.

Yes, it's the best option.

A movie.

Sorry, excuse me.

What would it be about?

How should I know?

Lola Cuevas, the director.

She's the most prestigious now.

She snaps up all the awards.

Highly prized by the critics.

She never grants interviews.

She's kind of strange.

Her films:
The Inverted Rain, from 1996.

Her first work,
acclaimed around the world.

The Void, 2001. Very weird,
not as celebrated as the previous one.

Haze, 2015.
Considered her masterpiece.

She's been waiting a few minutes.

Remind me a bit about this project.

It's all fine,
we have the book rights.

-It was a tough negotiation, but...
-Sure, I found out what we paid.

You asked me to prioritise it.

One thing is prioritising,
another is getting fucked.

But anyway, we've got it now.

-Lola...?
-Cuevas.

Iván Torres and Félix Rivero.
They're the perfect actors for this.

They're being sounded out now,
and it's all go,

despite loads of difficulties,
which was expected.

They belong to different worlds.

Iván is the master actor,
very prestigious,

and Félix is...

a worldwide star.

I'm interested in that tension,
I think it'll help us a lot.

And they've never worked together.

I don't know...

I want the best.

Are they the best?

Better, worse...

wouldn't use those terms
to define an artist,

but I get your question

and the answer is yes,
they're absolutely the best for this.

Excellent.

-You really don't want any?
-No, you go ahead.

Well, getting the book wasn't easy.

But that's it.

We have it, it's mine now.

You know I'll do a very loose version
of the novel, don't you?

It was the first thing I said
when they called me.

But there will be
something of the book left?

It cost me a fortune.

Tell me,

what did you think?

It's meant to be good, isn't it?

It's a Nobel Prize winner.

I'd love you to tell me
what it's about.

I haven't read it yet.

I'm not much of a reader, actually.

How do I tell you?

Rivalry is...

Alright then...

It's the story of two brothers:

Manuel is dull, introverted,

and his brother Pedro,
his older brother,

is very sure of himself, and rich.

1970: a country town.

Manuel is driving his parents
down a road.

It's night and he's drunk.

He loses control and the car
rolls over and over.

I hate drunks.

The parents die in the crash.
Manuel is unhurt.

Pedro, the other brother,
reports him to the police.

Well done.

Then Manuel is sentenced
to several years in prison.

Meanwhile, Pedro goes on
with his life

and has a relationship with Lucy,
a whore at the town brothel.

Everyone is suspicious
of Pedro's luxuries.

He has a foundry,

but nobody believes that
the money comes from there.

Years go by
and Manuel gets out of prison.

Pedro knows his brother is free
but they never meet.

Until one day Manuel goes to
the brothel and sleeps with Lucy.

His brother finds out, proposes to Lucy
and offers her a life of luxury.

Lucy says yes.

Manuel sinks into a terrible depression.

Then he finds out
that Lucy is pregnant.

He begins to wonder
if the child is his.

The baby is born.

But is it his or not?

Wait, I'll go on.

One day Manuel steels himself
and goes to Pedro's house.

He knocks on the door.

Pedro opens up.

Manuel sees Lucy with the baby

in a scene of devastating ordinariness.

Manuel asks, almost begs
to talk to his brother.

The brothers walk around
the estate at night, in darkness.

Manuel apologises to Pedro.

Pedro relents.

The brothers embrace
and cry like children.

Because men do cry.

I love it. It ends well.

I like the ending.
The brothers have reconciled.

Wait, it doesn't end there.

There's still the ending.

OFFICIAL COMPETITION

Take care of it!

Maestro, we meet at last.

It'll be a real honour
to work with you.

Thank you.

Let's go.

Well...

First rehearsal, eh?

Good luck, pal.

You'll need it.

Sure.

So will you.
Don't get too confident.

Coats.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Look, there she is.

Lola, good afternoon.

I really rushed to finish it,
but it's turned out very well.

A lot of work, loads.

It ended up a bit bulky.

With all my notes.

I can't stop.

How about we do a short exercise?

Okay.

How do you see your character, Iván?

I've thought a lot about Pedro
all these months.

I think Pedro's...

driving force has been
to outdo his younger brother

in front of their parents.
*

So let's say that Pedro
has done everything right,

he's always been steadfast,
secure, even with women.

A football fan,

a touch of the macho,
aggression, nationalism...

He channels the primitive side,

joining other primates
on the bleachers of the stadium.

He gets up early.

He's a simple, optimistic man.

And I think that
he never wanted children,

although he ended up
with one at this late stage.

I love the idea of two brothers
forming a single entity,

but split into two bodies.

Look.

They try to lead their lives
on different paths,

but an unexpected event
puts them in opposition.

Yes, yes.

The fate of one is irrevocably linked
to that of the other.

In fact, what happens to one,

-happens to the other, right?
-Exactly.

Félix, how do you see your character?

Manuel, my character, doesn't exist.

Pedro, his character, doesn't either.

-Oh no?
-No.

They're black ink on white paper.

I don't need to know my character's past,
because he doesn't have one.

I'll study the words and say them
with conviction and authority.

That'll be enough,
the people will see Manuel.

When you go to the doctor,

you don't need him to tell you
his life story to believe him.

If he has a white coat, a diploma
on the wall and a stethoscope,

-to the audience he's a doctor.
-That underestimates the audience.

Well...

And it underestimates the actor,
it underestimates our work.

-No, I don't think so.
-Yes.

Anyway, I haven't argued about
these things for 30 or 40 years.

You can never be so sure of
what the audience perceives

about you or the character.

There's an exercise I do
with my students.

I tell them that when they're alone

to call themselves out loud.

For that very reason, to see
and feel themselves from outside.

I know it sounds silly...

-Sounds good.
-...but it's quite distressing.

Iván!

Iván!

Iván!

Iván!

Oh, jeez...

Poor kids, poor kids.

I want to return to what you said
about the character,

that he doesn't want children.

I think it's a major detail.

So do I, it is.

-Do you have children?
-Yes.

Five.

-Five? All with the same one?
-Yes.

All with this guy.

Sorry, you gave it to me
on a platter.

Yes, five with four
different women, yes.

Do you have any Iván?

Sorry?

-Do you have any children?
-Yes, yes.

One from my first marriage.

He's grown up now, over 40.

With Violeta,
we've been together for 28 years,

we tried at the time,

but now it's a little late.

-I would have liked to.
-Okay.

-Do you have...?
-No. Nor do I want to.

I think an artist without children
has a huge advantage.

You can create freely, without fear.

With children, there's panic.

People become conservative,
have no ideas. It's normal.

With children to take care of,

with the constant worry that
something bad could happen to them...

it doesn't leave much room
to create anything risky, but anyway...

Can you face me so that I can
see you better when we read?

Well, Félix, we may have
different work methods,

but we do agree on
the mediocrity of having children.

-Shall we read?
-Yes, of course.

Let's go.

"Scene 1: interior, night,
Pedro's house.

Pedro is told about the crash.

The phone rings.
It's 11:30 at night.

Pedro looks at the time and answers."

"Hello."

"A man's voice on the other end.

Pedro knows it's a policeman.
He answers."

"Good evening. Who is it?"

Again, please.

What?

"Good evening". Again.

-"Good evening."
-Once more.

"Good evening."

Once more.

-"Good evening."
-Again.

"Good evening."

Once more.

"Good evening." Do we carry on?

No, because it's not right.

You know that "good evening"
can mean many things, don't you?

An invitation, an apology,
an attack, a thousand things.

Here, this "good evening" must say:

"What the hell's happened
for the police to call me

at 11 o'clock at home?"

All that?

All that.

You can do it perfectly well.
Let's go.

"Good evening."

That's it.

That's it.

"Scene 2: exterior, night, road.

Pedro reaches the scene of the crash.

An overturned car, an ambulance,
and his parents' bodies on the asphalt.

Beside them is Manuel, kneeling,
crying desperately, a cop beside him."

Pedro.

Excuse me, Lola.

A small observation on this text.

Here the script says:

"What happened?
What have you done, you fucking drunk?"

I think Pedro should first just ask

"What happened?", without the insult.

I think it's better
if he's more restrained at first,

trying to understand the situation.

Later, yes...

as he gradually gets angrier,

he explodes at his brother,

but not...

What do you think?

No, it's better to say it
as it's written.

Let's go from where Pedro arrives
at the scene of the crash.

Iván.

"What happened? What have
you done, you fucking drunk?"

"Sorry, sorry.

Something ran in front of me,
a dog or whatever..."

-Stop. Let's stop for a moment.
-Yes.

-One crucial thing that you know...
-Yes.

A drunk tries not to look drunk,
isn't that right?

Even more if he's caused an accident.

Then let's...

How...?

Imagine your level of drunkenness

from 1 to 10, 10 being really drunk.
Try to give me a 3.

Very well.

A 3.

Sorry, sorry.

Something ran in front of me,
a dog or whatever...

A 5.

Sorry, sorry.

Something ran in front of me,
a dog or whatever...

A bit more, a 6.5.

Sorry, sorry.

Something ran in front of me,
a dog or whatever...

That's it, Félix, right there.

I felt it too.

Yes.

Did you see?

Back into the brain,
no one can survive that.

-Nobody?
-Nobody.

I believe you.

Alright, another one.

Some guy comes along
and hits you square in the face.

Alright.

Because you stole his girlfriend
or he just doesn't like you.

-For whatever reason.
-Okay.

-Okay.
-Go.

-Slowly first, right?
-Yes, in slow motion.

-Go.
-That's it.

Okay, now we use
the inertia of his body,

to pull him forward.

It's very simple, but it works.

-It works.
-Yes.

-Let's go.
-Good.

Go on.
We'll do it a bit faster, okay?

-Did you see?
-Can I try?

-Go ahead.
-I'm going to try.

Let's see if I can do it.

Come on!

Ready?

At most,

at most, one of you,

only one,

will finish this hard road

and get to be a professional actor.

One at most.

So, if there's anyone here

who's not absolutely sure
that they're this chosen one,

I ask you, please, to leave the room
and not come back.

The world needs engineers,
dentists, lawyers,

people who turn the wheel,
labourers who work,

but one thing it doesn't need
is more actors.

Does no one have any doubts?

No.

Yes.

Maybe.

This guy is in every fucking movie
in this country. No.

Maybe.

No.

Yes.

No.

No.

No.

No way.

No.

No.

What a bland face. No.

This cross eyed one, maybe.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

Yes.

-Hey, he was a student of mine.
-Really?

-Yes. Not much talent, poor guy.
-Then no.

No, no, please, let him!

You don't have to be a genius
to sit without saying a word.

Take him, please.

-We'll include him for you.
-Thanks.

They are actors, aren't they?
I don't want any surprises.

Yes, they're all actors.

Poor guys.

-I'd keep...
-Excuse me.

Apologies for Félix's delay.

He had to see the doctor,
but he'll be here in a minute.

I warn you, he's not in a good mood.

I don't give a crap.
And who is this?

Félix's errand boy.

Come, come.

I'll introduce you.

Darío, Félix's personal assistant, Iván

Iván, a pleasure to meet you.

I'm a big fan,
I really admire you.

Thank you very much.

Rook!

Rook!

Cartagena!

I'm ready.

He's ready.

The issue is what I do with
all these projectiles on me.

You won't be doing this
before every take, will you?

Hey, it's my method,
it works for me.

-It disturbs me. Do it further away.
-Sure, sure.

-And I assure you, it does no good.
-No, it does for me. Oh, yeah.

Shall we begin?

Remember, we're in the prison,
in the visiting area,

with reinforced glass
between the two of you.

-You talk on the phone.
-Okay.

-Ready?
-Yes.

Okay, let's go.

Action.

Mum and Dad would hate you
if they were alive.

Don't even say their names!
You should've died in the crash.

Okay, stop. Let's go back.

Here, Pedro bangs the glass hard.

He's very upset,
he starts to cry.

Do it, please.

What?

Your actions.

Do your actions.
Cry, I want to see it.

There's no need,
I'll do it in the take.

I can't cry gratuitously,
just like that.

I've never been asked to.

I have to be in the situation.
I have to be focused.

But don't worry,
my emotion is on point.

No, I'm not worried,
but I want to see it.

Otherwise, I can't direct you.

I don't need to do it
in a reading, frankly.

The script says
that Pedro cries, right?

Sure.

-Well, how do we do it?
-That's...

-Don't try to do it well.
-Okay.

Find the truth.

What are you doing?

Crying.

Weeping.

Tears.

Menthol. I always use it.

Or do you need to remember
your dead grandma to cry?

I don't know, eh?

-You're not using that in my film.
-It works!

Let's go again.
I'll watch from here.

Let's go from "Mum and Dad".

Action.

Mum and Dad would hate you
if they were alive.

Don't even say their names!
You should've died in the crash.

Let it out, Iván!

Hold on...

Give me a break, man!

-Why are you doing this? Why?
-Nothing happened.

Don't be an asshole!
Look, blood. I'm bleeding!

Are you all right Félix?

Lola, Iván can't do this.

This is my work tool, eh?

This time I'll let it go,
but next time...

I swear I'll smash
that fools face in, eh?

When you get a film actor,

don't get one who needs
this whole circus.

Plus, he has an Argentinian accent.

20 years in Spain
and he still has the accent.

He has no accent.

As if there weren't Spanish actors
who could play my brother.

There must be a hundred.

Come on, you still have time.

Paco Carrasco.
A wonderful actor, wonderful.

-Let's see...
-Yeah.

Or Emilio Aravena..

Emilio's very good too, eh?

He's very good.

-What are you doing?
-Nothing.

Don't get side-tracked.

I may have to call my lawyer.

Come on, rehearse!

He's all better.

-By contract you can't touch his face.
-What?

I thought you knew.

Why would I know that crap?

Is that true? It's extraordinary.

It's pretty wild.

Come on, let's act.

Let's go.

The link between these two brothers
is broken now,

it has shattered.

But something is still alive, okay?

Let's work on that,
that impotence.

But restrained, Iván.

Let's go for it.

Action.

You're despicable.

I'm your brother.

I'm all you have.

How can you live knowing that
you sent your only brother to prison?

Leave that to me
and my conscience.

You've only got two years left.

For causing a massacre.

It's nothing.

Mum and Dad would hate you
if they were alive.

Don't even say their names!

Don't even say their names!

You should've died in the crash.

You.

Very good, Iván.

-Thank you.
-Very good.

You don't have to smash
a chair to show anger.

Sorry about that.

We're not acting
for row 48 in a theatre.

-You're right. A thousand pardons.
-Okay.

-I don't know...
-It's fine, it's fine.

-The tension... Forgive me.
-Forget it. It's over.

Anyway, in the end
it turned out great.

I'll tell you something.
I'm sure we'll make a great movie.

I hope so.

I can see us getting an Oscar
in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Your speech in English.
You do speak English, right?

-No, not at all.
-No?

I'd never subject myself
to that circus.

I don't want to be the Latino
who puts a bit of colour

into that entertainment industry
for numbskulls.

You go, you like it,
that's why you work...

I won't say no.
Yeah, yeah, I'll go.

-See?
-Yeah, sure.

Hey, this wardrobe is great.

Check out the lesbian-looking
eyesore outside.

I bet you 100 euros
she's one of Lola's girlfriends.

Done.

Félix, this is Violeta, my wife.

Nice to meet you.

-Charmed.
-Nice to meet you.

Félix, I'd like to give you
my latest book.

She writes children's stories.

I'm sure you've heard her name.
Violeta Valderrobles.

She's famous in the circle
of children's writers.

It's the story of a special child,
an immigrant

who lives on the street
and turns junk objects

into imaginary treasures
that teach him something.

Don't tell him the whole book.

It's a metaphor.

It's a call to all of us,

men, women, the genderless,

to live in a state
of permanent poetry,

against this ever more hostile, sick

and unjust world we live in.

I love it. Thanks a lot.

How do you know you love it
if you haven't read it yet?

From what she told me.

-It looks great.
-Thank you.

And it only cost you 100 euros.

Why?

Shall we go?

Did you know that the pink dolphin
is in serious danger of extinction?

This marvellous animal has been
devastated by the deeds of man

and it needs our help.

The pink dolphin has no voice.

Today I am its voice

and I say: it needs your help.

-How pathetic. Please...
-I need one euro.

With your contribution we can...

Lola, excuse me,
the crane is ready on the terrace.

Félix will be late.
In case you want to entertain Iván.

Coming.

You must see this Félix thing.

It's dreadful.

Did you know that the pink dolphin
is in serious danger of extinction?

This marvellous animal has been
devastated by the deeds of man

and it needs our help.

I'll speak in Spanish.

I must say that when I was
nominated for this award,

my first impression was distaste.

I wasn't going to come, frankly,
but then...

my family and friends
made me realize that

it was important to be here
to say what I think.

That's why I'm here before you,
to lay out my position.

I don't believe in art as spectacle

and much less
in what they call success.

Making art compete
as if it were a sports event,

I think is atrocious.

Why then have I come?

I've come...

to formally declare
my rejection of this award.

Thank you very much.

And good night.

Hello.

What's this?

This is about including
an external element

that increases the tension,
increases the fear.

It also symbolises the pressure
these two wretches live under,

the weight of the law.

I don't need that.

It's not a need Iván,

it's an exercise.

Come on, it's only 5 tons.

Is this safe?

Are we ready?

Remember, you're talking to a judge.

That image will haunt me
my whole life.

Memories of horror.

Mum and Dad stretched out.

In shock, deep shock.

...amid glass and blood...

Now you hate him!

...and Manuel kneeling on
the asphalt, drunk...

Sentence!

I didn't see my brother,
I saw my parents' killer.

-Less Iván. Relax!
-Sure, "relax", Lola, but with this...

Don't cut!

Let's go again.

From "I didn't see my brother".

Action.

I didn't see my brother,
I saw my parents' killer.

Less.

I didn't see my brother,
I saw my parents' killer.

-Less.
-But...

If I do any less,
I'll be doing nothing, Lola.

That's the idea.

-Alright, Félix...
-Yeah, yeah.

-Use it, use it.
-Yeah, yeah.

-You're terrified of the judge.
-Yes, the judge.

Let's go.

I bear the harshest sentence,

the guilt...

-From here, from the heart.
-Yeah, yeah.

Say it from here.

I would rather have died

and they lived.

-Fake, I don't believe it.
-No.

Truth, I want the truth.

Something...

ran in front of me,
I think it was an animal or...

Resigned.

An accident.

An accident I couldn't prevent.

Again. Resigned and disillusioned.

Disillusioned. Right.

An accident I couldn't prevent.

Resigned, disillusioned
and distressed.

An accident I couldn't prevent.

-That's it.
- Yes, I...

That's the way, guys.

I promise to shut up.

It's all yours.

Action.

We've done three rehearsals.
Six to go.

I never understood that.
Nine seemed like very few.

Sorry, it's the best I can do
with my schedule.

Sure, but...

You always have to rehearse
according to what the work requires.

Sometimes rehearsing too much
can overcook the thing.

Too much, no, what's necessary.

Don't worry about it.

We're rehearsing for nine days
because that's enough.

Lola, sorry, you've finished
with the rock, haven't you?

-But...
-Guys, you're so gullible.

It's cardboard.

-Ready?
-Got it.

-Straight to Instagram, eh?
-Yeah, yeah.

Let's go.

Go, go.

What a wanker.

I'm sorry.

It all got terribly complicated.

The third time.

Lola, Diana is coming,
but she's with Mr Suárez.

You don't say.

And to what do we owe
the visit from our producer?

He's bringing his daughter Diana.
I told you she's playing the role of Lucy.

That was true?
I thought it was a joke.

He asked me, I did loads of tests
and the girl's great,

very special.

Diana, your character doesn't
have any particular interest.

She's in her place,
she goes with the flow.

They're the ones
with the conflict. Alright?

Okay.

I'd like to see the stamp of
Pedro and Manuel's personalities

through the kiss,

how they kiss Lucy,

their individual approach.

-Do you want to start?
-Right away.

Right, let's go.

Put the headphones on.

The sound is key here.

Hello.

Listen...

Sorry if I have an erection.

And sorry if I don't,
it's nothing personal.

-Okay. Ready?
-Yeah, yeah.

Action.

Okay, okay, okay.

Thank you, Félix.

Iván, shall we go with you?

Good luck, champ.

Okay, let's go.

Forgive me.

Okay, okay, okay.

The poor guy's been married
for 28 years to the same woman,

you can tell that.

Don't you laugh,
you don't convey much either.

I have 13 international awards, eh?
I must convey something.

Just saying.

Oh, sure, the awards.
Yes, that's so important.

Guys, I'll show you something,
with Diana's permission.

Do you mind?

Look.

I forgot something at work.

I have to go.

It's all fantastic.

My girl...

Excellent.

Tell me about it later.

So the idea is to fly
on Tuesday the 21st.

In the morning, early.

Excuse me.

Lola, yes?

Yes.

Fine, I'll put it on speaker.

It's Lola.

Hi, guys, how are you?

I wanted to ask you a favour.

Maybe the next day you could
bring some of your awards.

Hi, Lola, it's Félix.

Do you mean the trophies,
the statues?

Yes, some of the 35 you said.
Whatever's easy.

We'll be doing an exercise
with them, okay?

-Okay.
-Great. See you later.

See you later. Great.

Good, let's resume.

I was saying that we'd leave
early on the 21st

and we'd be just over a week

until the final scenes
and some exteriors.

-Exactly seven working days.
-Yes, as long as it doesn't rain.

One thing.
When I travel, I always get

the cheapest ticket,
never first class.

Take that into account, please.
It's important.

Why?

It's an ethical question.

Ethical?

I hate being forced
to have privileges.

Besides, when I get on the plane
and pass through first class,

I check out the turd
and shitbird faces up front.

Iván, I like you more every day.

-I have to go. I have classes.
-Fine.

Sorry I'd like to comment
briefly on Félix's food.

Let's see...

It has to be macrobiotic,
ecological,

gluten-free, all made in Spain.

Félix.

Félix.

Félix.

Félix.

Félix!

Félix!

Félix!

Félix!

Félix!

Cool, I like it.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm starting to worry
because this isn't it.

This isn't it.

Where are the sofa fabrics
I approved the other day?

Here.

Look, this is it.

This one, this one.

Not this one.

See the difference?

-Yes, I think so.
-You see?

The curtains are from the house
of a simple, small-town guy.

Yes, he has money,
but we have to imagine

what he thinks is refined,
a rough, unrefined guy.

What does he think is refined?
Not the art director. Got it?

I've got it.
It's about this man's aspiration.

-Exactly.
-Lola.

Iván should've come half an hour ago.
I've called him three tiroes.

-Call from my phone.
-Yes.

Well, Susana, that's it.

Check the notes, that's why I spent
seven hours looking at fabrics.

-Hello?
-Iván, hello.

-Lola?
-No, it's Julia.

I'm calling from Lola's mobile,
my battery's run out.

Sure.

Iván, you do remember
that we start at 2 o'clock?

Yes, it's in my diary,

but since I was made to wait
in the last rehearsal

and the one before,

etcetera, etcetera,

today I'll make them wait
two hours to make up for it.

And I'm charging for it.

I'll see you at 4 pm.

I'll be on time.

Sorry.

It's...

a series about an astronaut.

On the way back in a spaceship,

he lands on an island
inhabited by savages

who've never had any contact
with civilization.

I play the astronaut.

How awful.

It's so bad, it could be great, eh?

-Mark my words.
-Yes, great.

This is nice.

What a waste.
Nobody's ever used it.

For a pharmaceutical congress,
at the very most.

These are just some of them.

From right to left,
the San Sebastián Silver Shell,

two Golden Globes,

the Volpi Cup from the Venice festival,

and two of my five Goyas.

The other three
are in my home in Saint-Tropez.

The rest are in
the Los Angeles house.

-A lot.
-Why did you make us bring them?

We're going to do
a little thing with them.

Yours, Iván?

I don't have nearly as many.

Obviously, I must be
a much worse actor.

The Medal for Excellence
in the Performing Arts,

a Max Award...

And this is the most important of all.

I was given it at a school
for disabled children.

I went to teach the kids there.

They made it themselves.

A beautiful experience.

-Shall we start?
-Yes, let's start.

Trust, trust, guys.

I want you to lose
all autonomy, all of it.

One is anchored to the other,
and vice versa.

There are two of them.

Two, but subordinate
to a single path.

They are two, but with one "I".

With a deformed "I",
it's deformed.

It's one of the things I like most
about the novel, if not the most.

The body as an enclosure,

a prison and a sentence,

where the skin is merely
a casing, a vessel.

One.

One only.

Curtain!

No! No!

Fucking bitch!

No, Lola!

Not that, no!

No!

No!

No, not that, please!

Fucking bitch!

Not that!

Not that!

Not that!

No!

No, no!

No!

Lola, no!

My Silver Lion for Best Director

and my Palme d'Or
for Best Picture.

Fuck it.

Well, it seems the awards
we're good for something.

Gentlemen,

an exercise on the ego.

What is she doing, the bitch?!

Guys, 15 minutes break
and we go to 63.

Take it easy, Félix!

Give me one reason,
one, to justify what you did!

Why the fucking hell
did you do that?

-To transform.
-Do you know what it means to us?

To transform, that's the reason.
It transforms.

Transform... I'll turn your face
into a Picasso!

Take it easy, Félix.

-That was nuts. We'll talk about this.
-Whenever you like, Iván.

She's crazy.

I'm sending a stack of lawyers!

I'm so scared.
Give them my address.

-4310 Segurola and La Habana, 7th floor.
-They'll be there!

Félix's lawyers demand that
the destroyed awards are replaced

and their client reimbursed
for non-material damages.

Fuck, "non-material damages"...

Let's see?

Duplicates of the six you destroyed
comes to 83,000 euros.

I don't care, they can work it out
with the producer, not me.

The catering people are here.
You asked to try the food...

-No, don't depress me with that today.
-Fine.

The day I got out,
I wanted to go back to jail.

No, no.

-What?
-No.

Don't look at him.

Don't look at him,

and when you do, at the end,

I want you to bore into him
with your look, to see his soul.

Again.

Action.

The day I...

No.

No, no, no.

But...

Look, Lola, I've made
over a hundred films,

and you're going to tell me
how to do my fucking job?

Don't fuck with me.

Let me do the scene once,

and if you don't like it,
you come and do it, eh, cutie?

Sorry.

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

Excuse me.

Excuse me, Lola.
You too, Iván, I'm sorry.

Sorry.

Félix, I'm sorry,
but I have to believe it.

No, no, it's just...

I'm upset about a personal matter.

It's my problem

and I took it out on you.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Did you fight with your new call girl?

Okay, it's fine,
we all have bad days.

Yes.

-From the top.
-Lola, Lola, wait. Iván...

I have something to tell you.

It's very hard to say,

but I think you both should know.

It turns out...

I don't want to shake you up.

If there's anything I don't want,
it's to be pitied.

First of all, I'm fine,

as well as one can be
under the circumstances.

Anyway...

I'd better get to the point,
come straight out with it.

Earlier this month

I had a medical check-up and...

the results weren't good.

Not good at all.

Adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

Cancer.

And...

the prognosis isn't encouraging.

I have to have more tests,

but if they confirm
what seems to be...

a fact,

I have at most a year left.

But...

Is there no treatment?

Yes, but it's very invasive and...

I decided not to do anything.

I'm just on palliatives.

I haven't cancelled any project.

I'm carrying on with
my normal life while I can.

I want...

I want death to catch me
living my life.

Lola, Iván, I want my last film
to be a great film.

And I'm going to do my utmost,

absolutely.

Maybe I can even channel
this painful experience

to nourish my character.

Count on my help
for whatever you want.

Thank you.

We're going to make
a fucking great film.

Forgive my mood swings
and these outbursts, but...

this medication has got me...

kind of crazy.

Everything disturbs me and...

Julia.

Can you hear me?

What I'm going to tell you
is between us, okay?

Félix is sick. He has cancer.

Yes, awful. He told us today.

He hasn't long to live.

So we have to shoot sooner.

Yes, two weeks.

Yes, yes, sure we can.

We have to start on the 21st.

I don't know, nor do I care.

PANCREATIC CANCER:
WHY IS IT THE DEADLIEST?

DENTAL BLEACHING

Losing one of your actors
as soon as you start shooting.

What a disaster.

How was I to know
he was going through all this?

He looks fine,
always full of energy.

It's horrible, yes.

It's really tough.

And it's a nasty cancer.

And I'm demanding so much
from you, so much...

Have I treated you so badly?

You didn't know.

It doesn't matter,
I'm a goddamn monster.

It's because I suffer,
I suffer a lot with my films.

I tried to do it differently,
but I can't. I don't know.

Lola, sorry.

Félix's mobile is off.
He's half an hour late.

Don't call him again, my God.

Poor guy must be with the doctors.

What the fuck do we do now?

Lola, I want to
tell you something because...

I keep thinking about it too.

If it gets worse...

We hope not, of course,
we hope not.

But if Félix can't go on,

I could play both roles.

Two brothers,
one with a beard,

the other without a beard...

Or they could be twins.

Why not?

Whatever.

It's an idea, that's all.

Oh, this stress.

My whole body hurts.

Squeeze a bit there,
please, my neck.

-Harder.
-Yes, hold on.

Harder.

Life is so hard sometimes.

Félix, how are you, honey?

It's all fine, fine.

Did you rest up?

Yes, I had a tiny domestic problem.

I was arguing with my ex-wife
all morning

because the bitch wants to stay
in my house in Saint-Tropez.

Do you know Saint-Tropez?

Beautiful beaches.

Great nightlife too.

But she knows about
your disease, right?

What disease?

Oh, no, no... the cancer thing?

No, she doesn't because...

it's a lie.

It's a lie.

How can I be sick?
Just look at me.

I did it as...

a performance for you two,

a little acting demonstration.

So intense.

You do realize, right?

You don't play with that.
You son of a bitch.

A son of a bitch...

but a great actor too, clearly,

because you bought it,
hook, line and sinker.

You destroyed something
very fragile, Félix.

You destroyed it.

And you destroyed those awards.

-Don't speak.
-Huh?

Don't say anything.

Lola, what happened?

I can have a ton of things
going around my mind,

and it works perfectly,
despite the chaos.

Now this absurd, childish thing
between you two comes up,

and it's like a rock to the head,

I go into a kind of blackout.

Fuck, you're getting to know me

and you know that
I'm very, very sensitive.

Is it a gift? Yes.

Do I have a hard time?
Yes, I do!

Is this about whose dick is bigger,
who is more macho?

No, Lola, it's not.

In my case, I can assure you
that it's not like that.

Look, however...

out of place, stupid,
even unpleasant

what Félix did may be,

I mean... well...

There's competition,

there always is.

But in this case the situation,

and I want to make this clear,

it's objective,

it's reality,

it can't be concealed.

It's easy to see which one
of us has the most talent.

Come here.

Come over here.
It's good for you to hear too.

I'm saying that one
can tell very clearly

who is the better actor

between Félix and me.

And it's Félix.

Félix is a better actor than I am.

You know how to reach...

the audience, the people,
the real people.

On the other hand, I chose...

to believe I was prestigious.

I fooled myself, I told myself that
the audience wasn't at the level

of what I was doing.

Horrible.

A whole career based

on a false doctrine,

comfortable and fake,
which is even worse.

And I ended up realising,
working here with you,

and it's what I owe you,

that true artistic daring
lives in moving

the common people,
the common audience.

And that's tremendously hard,
extremely hard.

Félix does it,

hats off, like no one else.

Like the best.

You're the master.

I have to tell you that.

Iván, I don't...

I'm very grateful
for your words, really.

For someone with your career
to speak like that...

You're the master of acting,

and for me what you said

is better than any award.

Lola, I'll always be
grateful to you

that you had the idea
to put us together.

I must say that I also had
a lot of prejudices against you.

The great master,
the one who knows the most...

But I've seen that
you're all that and more.

An actor in capital letters.

And I'm sure that this film

will see you recognised
by the general public.

Yes, sir.

I was returning the courtesy, Félix.

I was acting.

You believed it, eh? I got you.

The general public

is a mass of ignorant,
passive people with no ideas,

and actors like you

leave the audience
even more stultified.

And you always give them
the same thing.

Pure banal entertainment,

which doesn't even entertain me,
incidentally.

That's what I really think.

Sorry, Lola, sorry.

Forgive me.

One-all. We're tied.

That's true.

No one likes how I act.

Except the audience.

No less.

-Julia, when's the next rehearsal?
-Thursday.

Thursday.

Good, because I can't
handle you two anymore.

No rehearsal today.

Until Thursday.

Amazing.

I totally believed it.

You as an audience believed it,

but I believed it first,
do you understand?

Sure.

I have to believe it
so that you do.

I never tire of telling my students:

It's not about repeating the text,
but thinking like the character.

If you think like the character,

if you've captured
the mind of the character,

the rest comes by itself.

It's as simple

and as complex as that.

Excuse me.

YOU'RE FIRED YOU IDIOT

Is something wrong?

Excuse me.

Félix, Iván,

Lola just told me she's not coming.

I'll read the message.

"Tell them this is today's rehearsal,
the experience of coming in vain.

This question mark,
the void of the unforeseen,

will make them think
about themselves.

I'll see them on Tuesday."

Sorry.

Holy shit, man.

Holy shit.

Let's not give this nutcase
the satisfaction of a comment.

What a bitch.

Goddamn bitch.

Fucking bitch!

-Wonderful.
-Yes, it's great, great.

Listen to that texture,
the dirt in the background.

Can you hear it?

Like a latent...

Yes. Very dense.

And now..

Now it goes to the limit.

Where is he from?

He's Canadian,
but he lives in Düsseldorf.

He's a performer as well.

These sounds fascinate me,
that timeless, tribal banging.

Listen.

No, no, I think...

I think it's...

the man next door
nailing something.

Yes, it's him, fuck it.

Misunderstood.

Lesbian.

Pretentious.

Depraved.

Cruel.

Whore. Whore.

Girl.

Girl.

Alone.

Alone.

Terrified. Terrified.

Genius.

Jerk.

Crazy.

Crazy.

You're crazy.

Ridiculous.

Ridiculous.

Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt,
but they're ready.

What, what? What now?

They're set.

Not one fucking moment
to myself, really!

Not a single one.

Idiot!

Ignoramus!

Son of a bitch!

Prick!

Ass kisser!

Go fuck yourself!

Double fuck yourself!

Fathead, filth!

Bastard!

Scumbag!

Shit eater!

Leech!

I shit on your teeth!

Double fuck your mother!

Triple fuck your fucking mother!

Nutjob!

Abortion!

Son of a truckful of bitches!

I shit on the ass crack
and pussy of your fucking mother!

Fuck your mother!
I shit on your mother's face!

Not me.

Not me, Iván Torres.

I shit on the whole Torres family,

on the Torres of the past,

the present

and of the future!

On all the Torres!

Félix Rivero,

if there wasn't a lady present,
I'd beat the living shit out of you.

Right, that's enough.

It was just an exercise
to warm up for rehearsal.

-That's enough.
-Take it easy.

I'd never hit an old man
clearly in inferior shape.

So speaks the kid
who's a slave to money.

You're a slave too,
but for less money.

Enough, enough.

We rehearse in 15.
Let's go, guys.

Look, this is Pedro's house.

Here, he's having dinner with Lucy
when Manuel arrives.

Perfect.

And all this is the fields outside.

There, where the door is,
is the foundry.

Excellent.

And here, in this spot,
you two stop for the ending.

Got it. Good, good.

All this minimalism.

It takes me back to
my beginnings, in the 60s.

Laboratory Theatre,
this is older than...

I don't know if it's useful
to rehearse like this, but...

It's useful to me.

Exactly, it's useful.

Guys, this is the most complex,

the biggest scene in the film,
so, concentration.

Come on, let's do it.

-Diana, are you ready?
-Lucy is ready.

One thing, Iván.

Did you do something to your teeth?
They're very white.

No.

Okay, nobody interrupts
the rehearsal but me.

No one cuts for any reason.

I want a full take, okay?

People, this is the final scene.

Julia, lights, please.

Focus.

Action.

You hesitate for a second.

Hello.

I need to talk to you.

Impossible. I'm about to
have dinner with my wife.

Please.

I can't take any more.

I need to talk to you,
even if it's for the last time.

-Mum and Dad...
-Don't even say their names.

Please, please.

Iván, you hesitate, but give in.

Lucy.

I'll be back in a few minutes
and we'll have dinner.

-Let's get away from the house.
-Yes, that's better.

Even if it's too late,
I wanted to apologise to you.

Hold it there.

I always competed with you.

And you always protected me,
almost like a father.

Now you've started a family
with Lucy

and I'm sure she's made
the best choice.

There's nothing...

Not everything
can be expressed in words.

I just want to...

tell you I'm sorry...

for everything.

Manuel, you paid your debt.

That's all over.

And it was crystal clear that...

you had no bad intentions.

Don't think it was easy for me
to testify against you.

Maybe it was my way...

of putting the pain somewhere.

The truth is that,
whatever happens,

we're brothers.

They hug.

Turn, turn, turn.

Now!

Let's see who's in charge now.

Now drag him to the foundry.

And you put him in the oven.

He transforms.

Glasses.

Cap.

That's it.
The complete mutation.

Now you go home
as if nothing's happened.

Here the voice-over
would come in.

Manuel took over the life
of his brother.

No one could've mistaken
Manuel for Pedro,

but Lucy and the whole town

chose to pretend
that Manuel was Pedro.

And full stop.

The end.

Okay, cut.

Very good.

Very good, yes sir.

Rest up, we'll be playing this
loads of times.

I didn't think it was that good.

You have to know it in your sleep.

But it was great.

Very good.

All three looking at the camera, please.

Don't move.

Everyone look that way, please.

That's it.

Great. Smile, please.

One moment, please.

That's it.

Thank you, everyone,
for coming today.

It's a very important time
in my life.

We're celebrating the start
of this adventure I've put you on.

Shooting begins in two days.

I want to thank these great artists,

who at this stage of my life
I consider to be my friends,

for joining the project.

Félix and Iván,
our two greatest actors,

together for the first time!

Thank you very much.

Lola,

what can I tell you?

-Sometimes you bewilder me.
-Oh, really?

But I see the genius of your ideas.

You know that
I consider you my friend.

Perhaps you want to say a few words.

No, no.

-Yes, please, come, Lola.
-Thank you.

Yes, of course.

Thank you,
and make the best of films!

The best of films....

What is that, Humberto?

I often wonder

if there's a kind of canon
we should follow.

Right? I wonder if...

we can dislike a film,
but think it's good as well.

And when we think
a film is good, is it good?

I don't know,
maybe it only reaffirms

our pigeonholed,
entrenched tastes.

We should be very careful
about what we like.

Because one sees
what one understands,

and what one doesn't understand,
one doesn't like.

Many important things
are those we don't understand.

Thank you, everyone.

I was thinking

it'd be great if you asked Félix...

What?

If you asked Félix to record
a message for Emilia,

she's a huge fan of his.

Don't count on me for such drivel.

But she's your niece.

And she's turning 15.

Those things are cringeworthy.

She'd die to get...

Even worse.

I'm sorry.

I don't agree with the vile upbringing
the parents gave that poor creature.

He gave out such a whomping...

If we'd done it for real,
it wouldn't have been

as dangerous as it was.

-Félix, excuse me.
-Hi, Violeta. What's up?

-How are you?
-Good, great.

I wanted to ask you a favour.

It's my niece's birthday
and I'd like you to record a video.

-Do you mind?
-No, no.

Thanks a lot.

-What's her name?
-Emilia.

-Emilia.
-She's turning 15.

Hello, Emi.

Happy birthday.

Indeed!

How rude.

You can't leave dishes from
the first round uncollected.

It's unacceptable.

I don't know if you're blind
or just idiots.

So stop running around
like headless chickens and do it.

Sorry, right away, don't worry.

No, I do worry.
Of course I worry!

Don Iván!

What are you doing here?
Can I help you?

I need a cigarette,
have you got one?

I'll smoke with you.

Now I'm the face
for a charity campaign

that makes houses for African refugees
from discarded containers.

You've seen those ship containers.

They make beautiful houses
out of them.

They're small,

-but very beautiful.
-Great.

Sorry, I have to take
an important call.

Just a second.

And in the name of "charisma"
we have to endure horrible actors

with a lobotomized audience
that adores them.

It's a vicious circle,
where the audience...

I'm dying to be with you too,

but not today, it's impossible.

Keep that urge for tomorrow.

And that energy,
you're going to need it.

Félix is without a doubt
the worst actor

I've worked with in my life.

It's incredible that a guy
so lacking in resources

has had the career he's had.

Clearly, the film industry

is too generous, too generous.

Lola told me
what they're paying him.

-It's grotesque.
-Right.

Grotesque.

And the brute thinks that because
he's paid this obscene amount,

because it is obscene,

he's better than those of us who
get paid a reasonable amount.

I'd never let them pay me
what they pay him.

It'd be dishonest...

pornographic, even.

I totally agree, I totally agree.

One is certainly not
the money one makes.

I, for example...

And it's not the first time
I've worked with an idiot.

I'm used to it.

But...

this individual, so to speak,

has the worst problem
anyone can have:

He doesn't know
that he doesn't know it.

He doesn't know
that he doesn't know it.

Sure.

Ignorance plus arrogance.
The worst thing.

The worst thing.

Anyway...

I think the main thing now is...

to focus on the film, isn't it?

Well, I'm heading down

because if I'm not there,
it all falls apart.

Are you coming?

No, you go.

I'm fucking sick
of this decadent circus

of airheads, whores and the corrupt.

You go.

It's finished.

Well, I'll get going.

Anyway...

Félix, buddy...

Right then...

Say that again,
you old piece of shit.

You whinger.

Let's see if your face
really is untouchable.

Right then...

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Everyth ing's-fi ne.

Everything's fine.

Everything's fine.

Yes, the Humberto Suárez Foundation.

It's the third time I've called.

Yeah, it was me.

There's a man...!

Yes, but this is
the third time I've called.

-What happened?
-He jumped.

-What?
-Or fell, I don't know.

How many times do I have to call
for a goddamn ambulance?

Again, Félix!

Here, here!

Félix! Félix!

RIVALRY
A FILM BY LOLA CUEVAS

Next question.

You.

First of all,
congratulations on the film.

I saw it at the morning screening
and I was astounded.

-The question, please.
-Yes, sorry.

For Lola.

In your film there is a clear
ideological position,

a critique of the role of women
within the patriarchal society.

The position doesn't matter,
if there was one.

It doesn't matter.

One has to stop doing
an ideological frisk of everything,

to stop pigeonholing works
by their presumed ideology.

The fact that you see
a manifesto in my film

is rather reductionist,

to my taste, intellectually lazy.

A film isn't an affirmation,
an answer to a question,

just as art does not
refer to something,

but is a thing in itself.

Next question.

You, please.

Thank you.

For Félix Rivero.

Iván Torres was meant to
be your co-star in this film.

Then tragedy struck.

How was the experience
of playing both characters?

Do you have any news
of Iván's state of health?

They haven't issued
a medical report for some time.

Beginning with the main thing,

there is no news on Iván's state.

He's the same,
in a vegetative state.

The diagnosis is diff...

Diffuse axonal injury.

Exactly.

Diffuse axonal injury.

He's in a deep coma,

no reaction at all, poor man.

From what the doctors say,
it's irreversible.

It was a very tough situation,

I never quite understood
what really happened.

Iván was a very complex,
tortured person.

Anyway... Terrible.

We'll never know
what was going through his head.

Personally, I'm still,

as you can imagine, devastated.

That's why,
when Lola told me her idea,

brilliant, by the way,

of playing Iván's character as well,

I saw it as a tribute.

And I know,

I'm certain,

that he would've done
the same for this film.

Iván, my dear...

Thank you so much,

maestro.

Friend.

Brother.

You.

For Lola, please.

Have you imagined what the film
would be with Iván Torres,

if what unfortunately happened
hadn't happened?

No.

Thank you.

Next question.

When does a film end?

Now?

When the end credits come on?

At the cinema exit,
when we argue about it?

The next day,
a month later, a year later?

Or every time we think about it?

Some films end
with the closing credits.

Félix...

Rivero.

Fucking son of a bitch.

But others,

believe me,

may never end.