| 首頁 Home | 電影 Films | 評論 Opinions | 戲院 Cinemas | 資訊 Information | 網站地圖 Site Map

首頁 -> 電影 -> 香港每年上映電影 ->
Home -> Films -> Films Released in Hong Kong by Year ->


開畫日期 Release Date   
片長（分鐘） Running Time (Min.)  
級別 Category  
上映戲院（首週） Cinema Line-Up  (First Week)  

<不速之嚇>導演發人深省最新力作

情流心海The Sea Inside

本屆美國金球獎 - 最佳外語片、最佳男主角提名
 2004威尼斯電影節 - 銀獅獎、最佳男主角
 2004荷里活電影節 - 最佳歐洲電影
2004歐洲電影大獎 - 最佳電影、最佳導演、最佳劇本、最佳男主角提名
2005獨立精神大獎 - 最佳外語片提名

「無懈可擊的劇本，還有細膩動人的製作，再加上Javier Bardem的精湛演出… 《情流心海》絕對是劇情片的經典。」
 -Jonathan Holland, VARIETY-

「極有機會在奧斯卡頒獎禮上見到Javier Bardem！」
 -Lee Marshall, SCREEN DAILY.COM-

「一流的製作配合一個關乎全人類的主題，相信《情流心海》會吸引到全世界的成年觀眾入場欣賞。」
 -Ray Bennett, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER-

故事大綱

「我們要積極地生存，亦要死得有尊嚴。」
為自己深愛的人達成心願，看似天公地義；然而，愛人的願望是安樂死的話，您又是否理解，甚至是 ---- 協助他完成心願？

改編自真人真事的電影《情流心海》,是西班牙導演艾美尼巴看完了四肢癱瘓病人Ramon Sampedro的自傳《Letters From Hell》之後，被內裡對生存意義的探討深深打動，決心要讓更多人正視安樂死的問題，遂完成電影《情流心海》。英文原名《The Sea Inside》其實來自Ramon的其中一首詩，意義是指他的內心世界有一片海洋，它浩瀚、神秘、深不可測，就像死亡一樣，人類在它面前是那麼無助，亦暗示著作者本人對死亡的渴望。

電影的主人翁Ramon因為游泳遇上意外，成為終日躺在床上的植物人，每天只能透過小小的天窗看世界。將近三十年來，他一直都希望向政府爭取安樂死合法化，捍衛自己死亡的權利，並從而認識了兩個背景迴異的女子﹕爭取安樂死合法化的律師Julia，以及反對安樂死的失婚婦人Rosa。面對四肢癱瘓， Ramon雖然求"死"心切，但對生命依舊積極樂觀，深深打動著Julia及Rosa，三人漸漸發展出微妙的關係，令他們不禁反思生命的價值，亦要開始為生存而作出抉擇。

就在這個時候，法庭推翻了安樂死的合法性質；不過Ramon沒有放在心上，因為他深信，只有愛他的人才會支持他走完人生最後的一程…

艾慕杜華接班人﹕艾美尼巴 Alejandro Amenabar

艾美尼巴1972年生於智利，及後移居西班牙馬德利，並順利考入大學修讀資訊科學；但很快地，他便知道自己的興趣並不在於這裡，故此便毅然輟學，並開始拍攝電影。1991年的短片《Himenoptero》，開始令他引來國內影評人的注意，當時的艾美尼巴才十九歲。1996年首部長片《Thesis》面世，電影中的驚慄氣氛震懾整個歐洲影壇，勇奪西班牙哥雅大獎 (相等於台灣的金馬獎) 合共七個獎項，包括最佳電影、最佳導演、最佳劇本等等。及後，艾美尼巴開始向荷里活進軍，接力作《變臉驚情》贏得北美影評人激賞，荷里活片商隨即找來湯告魯斯及彭妮露古絲翻拍成《魂離情外天》(Vanilla Sky)。2001年的《不速之嚇》令艾美尼巴的事業更上一層樓，多次揚威各地影展，成為當今最矚目的歐洲導演之一。

雖然艾美尼巴是繼艾慕杜華後最成功的西班牙導演，但其作品風格卻與這位前輩相去甚遠。眾所周知，有「鬼才」之稱的艾慕杜華，向來喜歡以大膽荒誕的手法，去突顯兩性間錯綜複雜的關係；同性戀、變性人、孌童癖是他的最愛，光怪陸離的性愛場面俯拾皆是。至於艾美尼巴，雖然背負「接班人」之名，但其實他喜歡的導演是占士金馬倫、史提芬史匹堡；作品偏向於人性的探討﹕片中的主角不時要面對生離死別的問題，亦要為生命以外的價值作出抉擇。

艾美尼巴電影作品包括﹕
2004﹕情流心海 The Sea Inside
 威尼斯電影節 - 銀獅獎、最佳男主角
荷里活電影節 - 最佳歐洲電影
歐洲電影大獎 - 最佳電影、最佳導演、最佳劇本、最佳攝影、最佳男主角共五項提名
美國金球獎 - 最佳外語片、最佳男主角提名
獨立精神大獎 - 最佳外語片提名
2001﹕不速之嚇 The Others
 西班牙哥雅大獎 - 最佳電影、最佳導演、最佳攝影、最佳剪接、最佳原著劇本
比利時法蘭德斯國際電影節 - 國際影評人大獎
網上影評人協會大獎 - 最佳原著劇本
1997﹕變臉驚情 Open Your Eyes
 柏林影展- C.I.C.A.E.大獎
東京國際電影節 - 東京榮譽大獎
1996﹕Thesis
 西班牙哥雅大獎 - 最佳電影、最佳新晉導演、最佳原著劇本等合共七項大獎
布魯塞爾奇幻電影節 - 歐洲奇幻電影榮譽銀獎
1995﹕Luna
 1991﹕Himenoptero

進入艾美尼巴的心海﹕導演專訪
 為何要拍攝《情流心海》？
 幾年前我看過了Ramon Sampedro的自傳《Letters From Hell》，我不知道作者的原意是否要帶出對死亡的渴求，抑或純粹是自我的表達方法，總之，我就是被它深深吸引。後來我訪問了他生前幾個親朋戚友，才道知更多真相，對Ramon的認識更全面。那時我就斷定，這是一個很值得去拍成電影的故事。

安樂死這個主題，是否令觀眾太沉重？
 沒有這回事，全因為Ramon Sampedro的非凡魅力和樂觀性格。這一點Javier Bardem (電影男主角，飾演Ramon Sampedro) 最清楚不過。Ramon Sampedro基本上是一個矛盾的人﹕活得積極，幽默健談，人際關係良好；另一方面，卻又對安樂死熱衷非常。死亡向來是我關心的主題，在《不速之嚇》裡，我透過一個家庭去探討死亡；而在《情流心海》中，我嘗試透過生命去看待死亡。從一些生活瑣事出發，從一些樂觀角度出發。

電影花了不少功夫去描述男主角Ramon Sampedro與兩位女性的關係… 愛情是否電影的主題之一？
 在某程度上，你大可視《情流心海》為一齣愛情片。Ramon的床邊總會有位女性陪伴著他。首先是Rosa，她的愛是保護性的，因為她打從一開始便肯定生命的存在價值；接著是Julia，她的愛是理性的，雖然她對生死的看法與Ramon有出入，但他們仍能在對方身上找到共通點。電影展現了愛情的包容。

「海」在電影中有何含意？
 英文片名《The Sea Inside》其實來自Ramon生前的一首詩。片中有一場戲講述了海和Ramon的關係﹕海洋賜予他的人生，同時又奪去他的人生。其實當中包含了更深層的意思，那就是「心靈上的解脫」。海洋一望無際，我們看到的只是水平線。究竟水平線外的海洋還有多大？Ramon永遠不會知道，他只能透過想像力去飛越它。所以對Ramon而言，海洋是一個能令自己釋放的地方，令他可以拋低現實，忘卻痛苦。

為甚麼要找Javier Bardem飾演一個55歲的植物人？
他是一個合適的人選，同樣地又是一個不合適的人選，哈哈。不合適的原因在於他的年紀，說話又沒有加利西亞口音。但我認為他是最好的，因為在鏡頭前，他擁有非凡的表達能力，可說是西班牙有史以來最出色的男演員。雖然他的手腳不能動，無法有效運用肢體語言，但單靠聲音和面部表情，他仍能表達出複雜的感情來。開拍前我告訴他，我需要強烈的真實感，令所有觀眾都忘記你是Javier Bardem，忘記你是一位演員吧。事實上他做到了。

本屆金球獎 尊尼特普及里安納度狄卡比奧的勁敵 --- Javier Encinas Bardem
你不可不認識的西班牙影帝﹕Javier Encinas Bardem
 現年36歲的Javier Bardem是國際影壇的常客之一，曾經奪取西班牙哥雅大獎最佳演員三次、先後贏得威尼斯最佳男主角兩次、多次揚威獨立精神大獎、2000年更憑一齣《黎明不會來》，榮獲奧斯卡金象獎及金球獎最佳男主角提名。雖然他最後都失意而回，但Javier Bardem今年銳意捲土重來！在電影《情流心海》中，他為了演活了一位55歲的植物人Ramon Sampedro (比他本人大20年)，不惜四出訪問他生前的親朋戚友，努力模仿帶有濃厚加利西亞口音的談吐，就連呼吸方式都扮得維肖維妙 (Ramon的呼吸系統有少許毛病)！十足的誠意，再加上精湛內歛的演技，令無數觀眾為之動容。不少影評人早在2004年，便預言Javier Bardem將會是今年奧斯卡最佳男主角的大熱門！不信？請看看威尼斯電影節，最佳男主角經已成為他的囊中物，被喻為奧斯卡熱身賽的金球獎又能順利入圍，成為尊尼特普及里安納度狄卡比奧的勁敵…
2005年，你不可不認識他！

主要作品包括﹕
2004﹕情流深海 The Sea Inside
 威尼斯電影節 - 最佳男主角
歐洲電影大獎 - 最佳男主角提名
美國金球獎 - 最佳男主角(劇情組)提名
2004﹕同行殺機 Collateral
 2000﹕黎明不會來 Before Night Falls
 威尼斯電影節 - 最佳男主角
獨立精神大獎 - 最佳男主角
奧斯卡金象獎 - 最佳男主角提名
美國金球獎 - 最佳男主角(劇情組)提名
1997﹕活色生香 Live Flesh
 西班牙哥雅大獎 - 最佳男主角提名
1994﹕月亮代表我的奶 The Tit And The Moon
 1991﹕情迷高踭鞋 High Heels

關於安樂死
 在很多人而言,生存的意義在於活著有生趣…但當人百病叢生。雖然活著但苦不堪言，更甚者會活得毫無尊嚴。先進的醫療技術只可為他們延長苟延殘喘的生命，但活著，只是一呼一吸間的延續…活得毫無生趣在另一角度看來，亦是一件十分殘忍的事。於是有人開始提出﹕既然每個人都擁有生存的權利，為甚麼不能擁有選擇死亡的權利？這便是《情流心海》的主題 ---- 安樂死。

「安樂死」源自希臘文Euthanasia，Eu指「美好」，Thanatas即「死亡」，合起來即是「無痛苦的死亡」之意。根據荷蘭在2001年立法通過的安樂死法案，以及經香港醫務委員會的同意，安樂死的定義為「直接蓄意殺死病人，作為治療的一部份」(direct intentional killing of a person as part of the medical care being offered)。

其實嚴格來說，安樂死可分為兩種，即主動安樂死和被動安樂死。「主動安樂死」是指對那些生不如死的人，蓄意奪去其生命，使他能從痛苦中解脫。通常這類人都不是垂死的的病患者，反而是健康不良，但又無法治癒的人，他們的神智通常都是清醒的，更會主動要求安樂死。例如電影中的植物人 Ramon Sampedro便屬於這一類。

另一類是「被動安樂死」，即是對一個垂死的病患者，終止一切形式的治療，然後任由他自然死亡。例如除外輔助維生的呼吸儀器、飲食水管等等，讓他自然發展，不作任何干預，直至病人死去為止。

雖然歐美多國開始研究安樂死法例，社會上接納安樂死的人亦漸漸增多，但仍有不少醫生及宗教人士堅決反對。他們的反對理據有三點﹕
一、 安樂死是人類嘗試「扮演上帝的角色」，違反生命尊嚴的原則，因為只有上帝才能取去人類的生命；
二、 醫護人員的天職是救治病人，病人發出安樂死的訴求時，應該集中抒緩病人在精神及情緒上的痛苦，而非協助他們尋死；
三、如果允許安樂死，很容易導致被濫用，令人稍不如意便借用法例自尋短見，從而引發更多社會問題。

關於安樂死的問題，已經是一個超過半世紀的老問題。由於它牽涉的範圍太廣泛、太複雜，雖然 Ramon Sampedro的事情早已告一段落，爭論還是持續下去… 究竟生存有何價值？死亡是否一定安樂？要求自己的愛人協助自己安樂死，是否太過殘忍？

安樂死大事紀
 1906﹕美國俄亥俄州提出全球第一條安樂死法案，但未獲通過
1968﹕Ramon Sampedro跳水時頸部受重創，自此半身不遂
 1969﹕美國愛達荷州否決自願安樂死法案
1977﹕荷蘭醫務委員會正式接受自願安樂死
1984﹕荷蘭最高法院容許進行自願安樂死，但需符合若干條件
1994﹕中國人大代表首次提出全國人大訂立安樂死法例
1996﹕Ramon Sampedro的自傳《Letters From Hell》出版，激起社會爭議
 澳洲北澳省通過自願安樂死法案
1997﹕澳洲北澳省的安樂死法案被聯邦政府推翻
哥倫比亞引入有限度的安樂死法例
1998﹕Ramon Sampedro服毒去世，整個過程用攝錄機拍下
 美國密芝根州否決醫生協助自殺法案
2001﹕荷蘭過過安樂死法例，成為全球首個容許病人主動提出安樂死的國家

The Sea Inside 情流心海

Based on the profoundly moving true story that captured the world's attention, The SEA INSIDE is about Spaniard Ramón Sampedro (played by Oscar nomination Javier Bardem), who fought a 30-year campaign to win the right to end his life with dignity. THE SEA INSIDE is the story of Ramón's relationships with two women: Julia (Belén Rueda) a lawyer who supports his cause, and Rosa(Lola Duenas), a local woman who wants to convince him that life is worth living. Through the gift of his love, these two women are inspired to accomplish things they never previously thought possible. Despite his wish to die, Ramón taught everyone he encountered the meaning, value and preciousness of life. Though he could not move himself, he had an uncanny ability to move others. A truly joyous experience, THE SEA INSIDE celebrates the nature of freedom and love, and the mystery and beauty of life.

Synopsis

Former ship's mechanic Ramón Sampedro has been paralyzed in bed for thirty years, tenderly cared for on a farm by four members of his family: his sister-in-law Manuela (Mabel Rivera), his older brother José (Celso Bugallo), his father, Joaquin (Joan Dalmau), and his teenage nephew Javi (Tamar Novas). Since his injury, Ramón has been known for his upbeat attitude and his warm smile; still, his sole wish has been to bring his life to a dignified end.

But the confines of Ramón's world are opened up by the arrival of two women; Julia (Belén Rueda) a lawyer helping with his cause; and Rosa (Lola Duenas), a local woman who wants to convince him to change his mind. The two women's encounters with the charismatic Ramón will forever change both their lives and his.

Like Ramón, Julia has lost mobility; she walks with a cane due to a degenerative disease. Living in his house, spending every day with Ramón to help his legal effort, Julia finds herself drawn to Ramón. Although Julia is married and Ramón is unable to leave his bed, an increasingly powerful connection develops between them. Ramón understands Julia more than any man she has ever known: he is the great love of her life and she of his.

Rosa comes to Ramón a complete mess: a single mother with two children, she can't hold a job and has a catastrophic history with men. She thinks that by helping Ramón, may be she can help herself; Ramón quickly sees that Rosa is the one in desperate need of care. Over time, Ramón grows to enjoy her good-natured innocence, and freely bestows his wisdom and friendship. Rosa blossoms under Ramón's attentions and his kindness literally saves her life.

With their powerful feelings for Ramón, neither Julia nor Rosa wants to face the idea of life without him.

It will be left to one of these women to show the most unselfish and profound form of love.

THE SEA INSIDE, a Fine Line Features release, stars Javier Bardem and was directed, co-written (with Mateo Gil), edited, scored and co-produced by Alejandro Amenábar. The film costars Belén Rueda (in her film debut), Lola Duenas (TALK TO HER), Clara Segura and Mabel Rivera. The co-producer is Fernando Bovaira; the Director of Photography is Javier Aguirresarobe (THE OTHERS, TALK TO HER); the Production Designer is Benjamín Fernández (THE OTHERS, MAN ON FIRE) with Special Makeup Design by Jo Allen (THE HOURS). The film was produced by Sogecine together with Amenábar's Himenóptero. Sogecine and Sogepaq are part of Spain's leading audiovisual conglomerate Sogecable, and were also behind Amenábar's previous films.

Screenplay

THE SEA INSIDE began a few years ago when Alejandro Amenábar first read Ramón Sampedro's book 'Letters From Hell.' "I was absolutely enthralled by the way he expressed himself," says Amenábar. "And when I started interviewing the people who'd been close to him, I realized that this was a story definitely worth being told."

Like all of Amenábar's three previous films (THE OTHERS, OPEN YOUR EYES, THESIS), THE SEA INSIDE displays a fascination with the mysteries of life and death, topics that might seem unusual for a 32-year-old man. "I am interested in people," he says, "and in what gives meaning to existence or strips it of meaning."

To write the script, Amenábar turned to his friend and fellow director Mateo Gil, with whom he had previously collaborated with on the outline for THESIS and the screenplay for OPEN YOUR EYES. "He seemed the ideal person to work the dreamlike realm into the story," says Amenábar.

In order to tell Ramón Sampedro's story in two hours, some of the real people in his life had to be eliminated and others had to be incorporated. For example, the character of Julia represents a group of women that loved Ramón after he was incapacitated. And while the nephew Javi in the film has some connections with the real person, many elements of Ramón's nieces were also blended into the character.

"When there are real people behind the characters, you need their authorization," says THE SEA INSIDE producer Fernando Bovaira (THE OTHERS, OPEN YOUR EYES). "But I think we were delicate enough to make sure that no one felt uncomfortable. We showed them an almost finished screenplay and they gave their authorization for Alejandro to work freely."

The scriptwriters decided not to chronologically detail ups-and-downs of Sampedro's legal battles. "It's the sort of thing you're either interested in or not, says co-screenwriter Gil. "And if you're not, it can become rather tedious." Also, Amenábar felt that the legal issues would eventually be resolved and if the film focused there it would eventually become dated. "It seemed more important to me," says Amenábar, "that someone seeing it in a few years should continue to give thought to the whole issue of what is life and what is death."

What's under the Sea

The title of the film comes from one of Sampedro's poems, and certainly the idea of the sea was never far away from his thoughts. "As he says in the movie, the sea gave him a life when he was a sailor and it also put him in that situation," says Bardem. "But I would also say that the sea means to him what it means to all of us: freedom, and a mysterious place that no one really understands. It's like death. We all talk about it, but we don't know what's after it; and we don't know what's under the sea."

THE SEA INSIDE can also be seen as a love story, or even as a series of love stories. "It shows the different ways in which love can be conceived," says Amenábar. "First there is the protective kind of love that's established with Rosa, because she would go to him with her problems. Then there's Julia, the intellectual connection - they share similar concerns but have totally different visions of life and death. Then there is the father/ son relationship with his nephew. The relationship of love and fraternal miscommunication with his brother Jose is also very important. Finally, there is the relationship with his sister-in-law, one of implicit understanding, deeply maternal, where words are not necessary because a simple look says it all." "In THE SEA INSIDE," says Duenas, "love is the driving force behind everything."

"I would say this movie talks about love with possession and love without possession," says Bardem. "And the question would be: are you able to love somebody without possessing them? And there are two women in the movie who will give him two different answers."

THE SEA INSIDE is likely to open a debate on many of the issues raised by Ramón Sampedro's life. "I did a movie with Almodóvar called LIVE FLESH where I played a man in a wheelchair who became a huge international basketball player," says Bardem. And I admire, support and really envy the guys that I worked with in that movie: people who are in those circumstances and are willing to go ahead and have a life. But that doesn't mean that I don't also support somebody who says, 'Excuse me, I have an opinion - I want to stop.' Ultimately, it's the only belonging that we have: our own life. And we have the right to do with it whatever we want to do with it as long as we don't hurt anyone."

Despite what might be seen as a downbeat subject, the film is a strikingly uplifting and luminous experience. "THE SEA INSIDE is a celebration of freedom, and a guide to looking at life from another perspective," says Clara Segura. "It is magical," says Mabel Rivera, "it explores the landscapes of an inner journey."

"THE SEA INSIDE makes you think about things that are part of life," says Belén. "You come out of it thinking how beautiful it is to live."

OUT TO SEA

Out to sea, out to sea
And in the weightlessness of the deep
Where dreams come true,
Two souls unite
To fulfil a single wish

A kiss ignites life,
With lightning and thunder.
My body is no longer my body.
I've arrived at the centre of the universe.

A child's embrace,
The purest of kisses,
Until all that remains
Is a single desire

Your gaze and mine,
Over and over like an echo, repeating silently:
Deeper, and deeper,
Beyond everything
That is flesh and blood.

But I always awaken
And I always wish for death,
My lips forever entangled
In your hair.

MAR ADENTRO

Mar adentro, mar adentro,
y en la ingravidez del fondo
donde se cumplen los suenos,
se juntan dos voluntades
para cumplir un deseo.

Un beso enciende la vida
con un relámpago y un trueno,
y en una metamorfosis
mi cuerpo no es ya mi cuerpo;
es como penetrar al centro del universo:

El abrazo más pueril,
y el más puro de los besos,
hasta vernos reducidos
en un único deseo:

Tu mirada y mi mirada
como un eco repitiendo, sin palabras:
más adentro, más adentro,
hasta el más allá del todo
por la sangre y por los huesos.

Pero me despierto siempre
y siempre quiero estar muerto
para seguir con mi boca
enredada en tus cabellos.

INTERVIEW WITH ALEJANDRO AMENÁBAR(The Director)

-After THE OTHERS, why MAR ADENTRO?

I always make the kind of film I'd like to see in a movie theatre, clichéd as that might sound. I read Ramón Sampedro's book a few years ago and I don't know if it was because it was about death, or if it was the way he expressed himself, but I was absolutely enthralled by his manner of speaking. I started asking questions, to those who'd been close to him, and realised that there were even more reasons than I'd thought for shooting this story. Ramón's story was definitely worth being told. When I decide to make a film, the important thing, above and beyond everything else, is the story. More than the budget or the actors I'm going to work with.

-To what extent can this film be considered fiction?

For dramatic fluency, and in order to condense Ramón's experience into two hours, some characters had to be dispensed with, and others incorporated. The character of Julia, for example, is a compendium of several women. One of the things that really struck me about Ramón was that he appeared to have a harem around him. Julia is a single embodiment of the women that fell in love with him when he had already lost the use of his arms and legs. The same can be said about Javi, the character of the nephew in the film, who does have something to do with his nephew in real life. But many elements of his nieces were also incorporated into the character. Those changes allow for smoother, more fluent narration.

-With death so present, how did you manage to achieve such a luminous film?

Because we were swept along by Ramón's charisma and personality. The first and major convert was Javier Bardem himself. That's the contradiction of Ramón: someone so full of life, who got along so well with people, and who so actively pursued his own death. Death is a recurrent theme in my films. THE OTHERS was the vision of a family from the dark side, from death. MAR ADENTRO is a vision of death from life, from the most natural, day-to-day events, from the most luminous side of things.

-You mentioned earlier the women that were always around Ramón. Is love an important element of this film?

MAR ADENTRO can, to a very great extent, be considered a love story, or several love stories. It shows the different ways in which love can be conceived. Ramón's story is seen through the different women who are around his bed. First there is the protective kind of love that's established with Rosa, because she and other women would go to him with their problems. Then there's Julia, the intellectual connection; they share similar concerns but have totally different visions of life and death. Then there is the father/son relationship with his nephew. The relationship of love and fraternal miscommunication with his brother José is also very important. Then there is the relationship with his sister-in-law, one of implicit understanding, deeply maternal, where words are not necessary because a simple look says it all.

-In a story like this, it's quite surprising to see the sense of humour that runs through the film.

Those who were close to Ramón told me over and over again about his sense of humour. He was capable of laughing at his situation, he was capable of an ironic take on death; he constantly joked with the women around him. But we didn't want to turn him into the typical funny guy with a joke for every situation. Javier helped a great deal in giving him the right tone, because he also has a great sense of humour, and he understood the man, and the character, perfectly.

-What is the significance of the sea in this film?

MAR ADENTRO is a verse from one of Ramón's poems. There is a moment in the film when Ramón says that the sea gave him life, and also took it away from him, because that's where he suffered his accident. The sea also is the sensation of escape. It is the unending line of the horizon; it is that which is infinite. There is something in Ramón's experience which has a great deal to do with the idea of escape, of journey, which has always been very present in the cinema. I always ask my friends who are preparing a film: where is the journey? Now that the European cinema is so threatened by the American cinema, and that the world cinema as a whole is threatened by piracy and new formats, I think the cinematographic experience should be a journey. Not necessarily flight, but certainly an emotional journey, something that takes you out of your reality and leads you to another.

-And in the film there is a journey that is initiated through a window.

The windows were very present in the story from the time of writing. Ramón in fact had two windows. I only wanted to include one. Benjamin, the art director, convinced me to use them both. Ramón was someone who never left his room; his inner world and everything he could see through those windows gave him everything he needed. But we had to take the spectator out of the room, and that had to be done through the physical and emotional windows.

-The choice of actors to play flesh and blood characters is always very tricky. What can you say about your work with the cast of MAR ADENTRO?

The work with the actors reflects the naturalist tendency of the entire film. As far as the settings and landscapes were concerned, I wasn't after hyperrealism; nor was I interested in a hand-held camera. I wanted realism to flow from the actors themselves. It became an obsession. When we were preparing the characters, I refused to rehearse or to have them learn their lines too well in advance. Before, that would have been unthinkable for someone like me. I could never have imagined myself telling an actor not to learn his lines in time for the day's shoot. We improvised constantly. And if we ever thought that something sounded stilted or unnatural, I was open to having it changed. Because, at the end of the day, I wanted to be open to the possibility of them not interpreting the characters as I had conceived them in my head, to see what they might have to offer.

-Why Javier Bardem to play a man of fifty?

Javier can seem the most likely, or the most unlikely actor for this film. The most unlikely because he has neither the age nor the physique of the character, and he doesn't speak Galician. The most ideal because I think he is an absolute master of screen interpretation. Not just one of the best, but the best actor Spain has ever produced. That was the real challenge. I offered him the part, and told him he could always back out whenever he wished. I told him I was looking for something very, very realistic, something that would make people forget that the actor who was playing this guy was Javier Bardem. We didn't set out to reproduce a carbon copy of reality; but we did want to put on screen a credible, fifty year-old man who's lost the use of his arms and legs, speaking Galician. His gesture and voice work is extraordinary. He was ideal for this naturalist approach because his magic is such that it simply overrides the text; it makes you forget that behind all that there is a screenplay, with dialogue that has been memorized by an actor, although he might seem to be improvising all the while.

-Javier had to deal with enormous technical difficulties; and I suppose the entire cast and crew had to as well. How did the shoot go?

I've told Javier several times that I'll have a monument erected in his honour. He was the soul of the film. We could feel Ramón there, on the shoot. He was always dishing out generous doses of good humour. First of all, there was his talent. As a director it's nice to have such talent in the bank as it were, before the shoot even starts. Then he also showed me that he is a great human being, a truly wonderful person; which is important if you're going to be one of the true greats. He withstood all the pressure of five hours of makeup every day. Not to mention the constraints of not being able to move, and of having to convey everything by way of voice and facial expression. But he never, ever, complained. I wanted all the actors to enjoy the shoot, to have a good time on it, and Javier was fundamental to the creation of that atmosphere.

-Music has always been another leading character in all your films. In this one, your passion for music meets Ramón Sampedro's passion for music as well. What would you highlight about the score?

It was, in fact, a process of decomposition. After many initial doubts, I tried to be more methodical than ever, departing from just three major themes (Ramón, Julia and Rosa). Rosa is the more Celtic bit; Julia the symphonic; and Ramón a mixture of both, with a strong epic content. Later on, Carlos Nunez and his crowd came in, and they took us to Galicia and turned the final piece into a real celebration, a real celebration of life. Sampedro's love for classical music, specifically for opera, was also important. This is also reflected in the film. The main character in MAR ADENTRO is a man who spent thirty years in bed, filling all that leisure time not only by reading, but also with music. So music had to be accorded a major role in the entire piece; as well as being a conduit for us to enter his inner world.

-Do you feel that MAR ADENTRO marks a major step in your directing career?

I think it's only logical that I should have made this film, because it talks about human beings and death. It's something that's always been present in my films. I am interested in people, in what gives meaning to existence, or strips it of meaning: death. To call Ramón "a coward", to say that he "doesn't know the meaning of the word solidarity" is to selfishly judge someone who is merely exercising his full right to freedom. If the word 'fearless' could ever be applied to anyone, it's Ramón. MAR ADENTRO is, or is intended to be, first and foremost, a journey. A journey to life and death. A journey to Galicia; a journey out to sea and into the inner world of Ramón Sampedro.

FILMOGRAPHY AS DIRECTOR, SCREENWRITER AND COMPOSER

AS COMPOSER

THE CHARACTERS

RAMÓN SAMPEDRO. JAVIER BARDEM

INTERVIEW WITH JAVIER BARDEM

-Playing Ramón Sampedro was quite a challenge, physically and professionally. What did you see in him to make you accept the role?

What really struck me about Ramón was the naturalness with which he spoke about very major things: love, death, life, sex. He could distance himself from things with the wisdom of someone who has been thinking about them for twenty-eight years. In a way, he was an enlightened being; but he also was a very simple person, who never tried to shove anything down anybody's throat. He was a man of the sea, who had accumulated all that intellectual baggage by force of will, because, in a situation such as the one in which he found himself, reading and writing were very difficult. I found that mixture between the intellectual, what is consciously forged, and the simple, down to earth things, very attractive.

-Was it complicated to separate reality from fiction?

Whenever you play a true-to-life character, there's always the fear of not respecting what that person was, what that person left us. Ramón left us, in his books, a very powerful testimony of things we are forced to think about: death, the ownership of one's body, selfish love (which is really possession) and selfless love. Faced with such a character, the actor has to step aside and allow that person to enter him; he has to be a simple medium. You can't bring your own conflicts to the character. For example, I am afraid of death, which was no help whatsoever in building my character.

-What is the significance of the sea in the film?

The sea is life, something you can't hear with a stethoscope, it's mysterious; that which has achieved true freedom. Ramón was a very physical being, and his physical immobility made him desire absolute freedom. The sea reminded him of freedom.

-Is MAR ADENTRO a story of love, or seduction? Ramón is the catalyst of a love triangle.

Ramón loved to love and be loved, but he didn't want the person who loved him to suffer. To see a man, all wisdom and sensitivity, with a wonderful sense of humour, not at all bad-looking (he had lovely eyes), lying flat and helpless on a bed, is probably the dream of many a woman. I don't think Ramón was aware of the full potential of his emotional appeal; he'd always realise too late, when the woman in question had already been sold on his charms. The love triangle is useful to the film because it allows us to appreciate Ramón's real stance on life.

-Was he a person with a great sense of humour?

Ramón had been through so much that there was very little he could have considered sacred. He was capable of taking a healthy distance from even the most dramatic things, sometimes insultingly so for the rest of us mere mortals who tend to make a mountain out of the most insignificant molehill.

-Was the music a valuable work tool for you in this film?

Music afforded Ramón a means of evasion, to create, to write his stories. I tried to write like he did, with his mouth, but couldn't quite. He had a most beautiful handwriting, developed over many years of practice. I often wondered exactly when he did decide to write, because the muscular effort required to write via use of the mouth is tremendous, and he wrote marvellous poetry; very disconcerting stuff, nothing sweet and soothing. Music allowed him to attain that state of creativity and enlightenment.

-To play someone who's lost the use of his arms and legs, who speaks with a Galician accent, and who's twenty years older than you, seems more like an obstacle race than a challenge. What was the most difficult part of the day-to-day routine?

It certainly was an enormous physical challenge. What's more, I have very bad diction, I don't like my voice, and much of the challenge of playing this role had to do with the exploration of voice ranges and diction in order to hold interest. I could only move my neck, my head and my eyes. Imagine that for someone like me, who always draws so heavily on the physical side of the characters. But five to six hours of daily makeup helped me to find a different way of relating to the rest of the cast and crew: without physically moving, via gesture, through my voice…

-In a complicated shoot, complicity with the director is fundamental. What was it like, working with Alejandro Amenábar?

Alejandro has a calm poise and a serenity in his way of speaking and in the way he does things that is very relaxing. That averts tension. He is very respectful of others, very hard-working and has an enormous capacity to concentrate. He is very sensitive but by no means sappy. And, apart from his talent, he certainly does have a kind of special spirit, which allows him to take a story such as this and, respecting all the facts, give his own particular twist to it and turn it into a love story.

-Shooting Ramón's death must have been hard. How did you approach the shoot that day?

There was a moment, while I was preparing the scene, when I had to see the death of the real Ramón over and over. I felt as though I was using his pain. But I understood, seeing how he suffered as he died, that Ramón's message should not be allowed to go in vain. This film is going to serve as a warning to many people, who, at the time, didn't realise what Ramón's real struggle was. I feel, like Alejandro, that it is important for this film to be seen, because it was what Ramón was driven to: dying alone, and in grief.

-What, for you, is MAR ADENTRO?

MAR ADENTRO is a story about love, and about being able to give up what we may wish to possess. It's the story of someone whose only God is his conscience; which can only make man more free and more humane.

FILMS

JULIA. BELÉN RUEDA

"At the beginning of the film, Julia gets some very bad news regarding her health. Her vision of life changes deeply as a result. She is the very vibrant type, the type of person who seems to literally want to drink deeply of life; she is therefore somewhat thrown. It is at such a painful moment that she meets Ramón; he is quite an example, and has a great impact on her."

"MAR ADENTRO is a very luminous experience. Julia is fascinated by the clarity and peace with which Ramón accepts death. We live in a culture in which death is taboo. Alejandro had warned me that for the preparation of the film we would have to take a trip and read many books about death. It was difficult for me at first, because all your personal experiences seem to rein you in, in your mind, when you read such things, but it was important. Julia is incapable of making a clear decision in the film, and because of that, she goes through the rest of her life enslaved by her physical state."

"Circumstances lead Julia to fall in love with someone she greatly admires because of the peace he exudes, because of the joy with which he manages to cope with his daily travails. Ramón knew how to play that particular trump card with women. And Julia tries even harder to get him to fall for her when she sees that he resists. It is a very feminine reaction. Their relationship is a sentimental and intellectual one; they are on the same wavelength as it were, which always helps to bring people closer together. While we were preparing the film we visited several hospitals and spoke to people suffering from degenerative diseases, and we saw that among such people falling in love was quite a common thing, because there is no need to explain their situation; which is always a good basis to start a relationship."

"Going from television to film was hard. I was so accustomed to television that I was quite daunted by the idea of shooting without the other actor there in front of me. But I was surprised by the discipline and the silence of a film shoot. There were many of us there, but it seemed like there was no one. This allows the characters to create a personal world, which works."

"Javier Bardem is a very generous professional. He helped me a great deal. When you idealise someone professionally, you also find it more difficult to start to work with him. Doing scenes with Javier was an extremely rewarding experience, because he was constantly asking himself whether his character should go this way or that. If you observe how he works you realise that he isn't easily satisfied with what he does, so he never stops searching. There was a great deal of implicit understanding among everybody."

"Alejandro knows how to create an atmosphere of great enthusiasm, and a very relaxed atmosphere as well; so much so, that no matter how many hours you spent there you never felt exhausted. He helped me really enjoy the shoot. Shooting chronologically allowed us to gradually get to know each other, and also allowed many things that weren't planned to happen; which only enhanced the characters and the film. MAR ADENTRO makes you think about things that are part of life; it is a celebration of life. You come out of it thinking how beautiful it is to live."

FILMS

ROSA. LOLA DUENAS

"Ramón used to say about Moncha, the person on whom my character is based, that she was 'a universe in search of meaning'. I thought it was a spot-on definition of her. She is a woman with a very big heart, but who is a complete emotional fizzle. She's got lots of love to give, lots of time with which to give it, but is completely derailed because she finds nowhere to direct it. What she is looking for in Ramón is really a way to feel useful to someone, to feel loved."

"I'd never been forced to consider what a real living person would think of the screen character I've turned them into. I didn't want to imitate her, but I did want to incorporate several things that were very much her. Moncha was extremely nice and generous with me. She opened her life to me in a way that not many people do: her house, her family, the story of that love. And she allowed me to take little things on board; that signature mouth gesture, for instance… I strove for a mixture between an invented character and little details drawn from reality."

"What struck me most about Rosa was that she was so truly good-natured. Perhaps, for her, Ramón's story and her relationship with him is different from how it may be perceived from the outside. I can't help telling it from Rosa's side. I think that that's what love is: I love you and I understand your way of loving me; and because I love you, your way of loving doesn't change my love. That's what love is. And Rosa discovered love at Ramón's side; that's why I admire her so. There aren't many people who know how to love."

"In the love triangle seen in the film, Rosa feels insecure about the fact that she is the woman who didn't go to university, the uneducated woman, the one who's always badly dressed. She in fact says so: 'if I were a lawyer, things would be different'. Rosa sees Julia as the city woman, who's been to university, who knows how to get close to Ramón, because she knows how to talk. She feels inferior to Julia. Ramón makes Galician crepes with Rosa, while with Julia, he talks."

"I think Alejandro really enjoyed his work with the actors. He gave us a lot of freedom to bring to the table our ideas about the characters we were playing. You felt as though you were worth something; you very quickly found your place. I was somewhat apprehensive before I started this film because the director was Alejandro Amenábar. And also because Bardem was going to be in it. But it was all about observing them, and learning a lot from them."

"The shoot was very enjoyable. Javier always had an encouraging word for everyone. He was all positive energy. If there ever was a low moment, there was Javier, to make everybody laugh. He also is very generous when it's his turn to be on the other side of the reverse shots; as an actor you just had to do your bit, because he was always there for you. It was great fun; we laughed a lot."

"In MAR ADENTRO, love is the driving force behind everything."

FILMOGRAPHY

TELEVISION CREDITS

MANUELA. MABEL RIVERA

"Manuela, Ramón's sister-in-law, is a sort of enveloping presence. She is constant care, the wife-mother who is taking care of him all the time. Not only is she always taking care of Ramón; she is taking care of him in a special way. She might be negligent in her care of certain members of her family, of her children even; but never of Ramón."

"Ramón saw the sea as a mother, something that envelopes you, that seduces and protects you, that gives you the freedom to live, to see the world. The sea can be life-giving, but it can also be very cruel. It is like a living being that can turn against you. It's the way you feel in Galicia. In one of its cruel twists, the sea broke Ramón's neck and changed his life; the sea is a constant presence and absence."

"Ramón had a special kind of humour, a humour with an inherent streak of pain. A razor-sharp, very cutting kind of humour, which is so Galician. Ramón could make fun of his own shadow. Laughing was, in a way, his way of crying. He could say the most terrible things with the most biting type of ironic humour; it was a way of steeling himself to carry on. That is present in the film."

"I don't know if Ramón's struggle, so painfully individual, shutting off so much of the outside world, could have taken place anywhere else but in Galicia. Furthermore, in that family there were lots of beings who lived with and alongside each other, but communicated very little with each other. Everyone kept his feelings to himself; which is very Galician."

"For Javier, the characterisation also involved the added problem of makeup; at times you felt there wasn't sufficient time for discussing things prior to shooting a scene, or for us to unburden ourselves to each other. But he is so generous, so easy to talk to. He treats you as an equal. For someone like me, who's just started in film, a shoot is a constant battle to get there, to make it. And I'd see Javier, worried everyday about every little challenge, about doing it well… someone like him, who's already so big."

"In MAR ADENTRO there is a fight for personal freedom, for the inalienable right to make decisions about our own lives. This film is magical. It explores the landscapes of an inner journey. And this beautiful setting makes you engage even more intensely in such an important debate."

FILMOGRAPHY

TELEVISION CREDITS

JOSÉ. CELSO BUGALLO

"José is Ramón's eldest brother. He considers himself the head of the family and, as such, thinks he has a right to decide whether his brother should be allowed to entertain the option of euthanasia or not. Right or wrong, José's stance is consistent with his convictions and he defends his position, which is the same as that held by political and religious institutions. That's how he understands love for his brother, and it is an attitude which leads him, at times, to be a touch aggressive."

I spoke with José a bit. It was on a very hot day; he was in the shade and I was in the sun. I think José found himself immersed in a situation that was beyond him intellectually, and above his thought capacity. During the interview, he seemed quite pleasant, a very nice person, though he didn't really want to talk much about the issue; he seemed to be seeking shelter for himself."

"Galicia, because of the way it is, because of the way it so steadfastly adheres to its religious, political and social beliefs, probably made Ramón's story even more controversial. The social idiosyncrasy of Galicia, so obedient, so blind, contrasts sharply with Ramón's great courage. Which makes me think that we're probably not such a socially submissive people after all. Ramón's example has made me even more proud to be Galician."

"The sense of humour of the Galician man is inherent in his drama; it's impossible to live with that drama without some sense of humour. Humour is the perfect soothing medicine for facing the rigours of work at sea, in the fields, or in factories and workshops. The extraordinary presence of such humour takes some of the tragedy out of the drama, culminating in something more calm and more bearable."

"The sea, as Joyce said in Ulysses, is the mother that bore us. The sea tries constantly to construct a message for us: the message of freedom, of love. Every wave is a grammatical code."

"Shooting with Alejandro was a delightful adventure; constructive, nutritional, absolutely fabulous. I sank my teeth into my work like I'd never done before. It was an honour for me to have earned Alejandro's recognition for my effort."

"Javier Bardem is like a universal character; he knows how to be with people of all types, and he's always so nice. I don't know how he does it. He gets on with everyone."

"MAR ADENTRO is a simple film; intelligent, beautiful, useful and necessary."

FILMOGRAPHY

GENÉ. CLARA SEGURA

"Gené is a very vibrant woman, very full of life; she is all for life, though she does defend the right to die. She is very fun-loving and someone of firm convictions. She works with the association called Derecho a Morir Dignamente (Death With Dignity), and the post she holds there obliges her to be reasonably restrained. She is full of energy, optimistic, very tolerant and understanding."

"During the preparation of the film, I contacted DMD, as well as the real Gené, and Aurora Bau, who also dealt quite a bit with Ramón. In the midst of all the association's hectic activity, they found time for me. Just from the way in which they'd tell you anecdotes about Ramón you could see that he was an exceptional being."

"Talking about death is part of life itself. The thing is, because of cultural impositions, it is taboo to do so. We dress death up in black and turn it into something sullen and gloomy. In this film, death is shrouded in light. The vitality of the film stems from the respect shown in the script for Ramón Sampedro's freedom."

"The relationship between Ramón and Gené is based on an implicit understanding that has arisen after many intense conversations. It is a healthy friendship, one of mutual admiration. Ramón Sampedro was very important to DMD because the association had been fighting for some time for what Ramón was pursuing; so he became a remarkable spokesman for the cause. Thanks to him, the association has gained significance and prestige in the society."

"The sea is the beginning and the end of Ramón's life. The sea is life-giving, fantastic, but treacherous as well. The sea provides a link to and for many things: for example, it links Galicia with Barcelona; it links Gene, who is Mediterranean, with Ramón, from the Atlantic coast."

"Javier Bardem's work was complicated: having to do the Galician accent, having to go through that makeup routine, having to remain in that position all the time throughout the shoot… but Javier makes everything so easy for you that you never notice the burden he's carrying himself."

"MAR ADENTRO is a celebration of freedom, and a guide to looking at life from another perspective. The main voice of this story wants to die, but fights for life. It is a celebration of life, love, freedom, and, therefore, of death as well."

FILMOGRAPHY

THEATRE CREDITS

JAVI. TAMAR NOVAS

"Javi is the touch of tenderness in the story. He idolises his uncle, and really enjoys being with him, in contrast to the other characters, for whom Ramón's struggle is a problem that is always uppermost in their minds. Javi speaks with his uncle with absolute normalcy and remains alien to the family conflict."

"While I was constructing the character, I became interested in meeting his nephews. But Alejandro hadn't taken any one of them in particular as a reference. He created Javi from what he had heard in the family. I met the nephew who worked all of Ramón's machines, but that wasn't really crucial to the construction of the character."

"The film deals with so many issues because life is so many things. At the beginning you think about death, but as the film progresses you forget about that. This is the story of people who live in an extraordinary situation. It is a story of love that comes under many different guises. At one point in the film Ramón says that it is the person who really loves him who will help him to die. It is a story about how far love can go."

"I was afraid that there might always be a tense atmosphere in the studio where we shot, because the story we were going to shoot was a very bleak one. I thought it was going to be all concentration, extreme quiet, to make sure that everyone was always deeply into the shoot. But, the truth is I had a really wonderful time with Javier; there were even times when we'd slip away to listen to heavy metal music. And Alejandro's ability to listen is so great that I couldn't help but enjoy it."

"MAR ADENTRO is a story about life, and a cry for freedom. Everyone should be able to decide about their life, and no one can force anyone to live in a way that they don't consider dignified."

FILMOGRAPHY

MARC. FRANCESC GARRIDO

"Marc is the lawyer who takes Ramón's case to the law. He defends him not only because it is his duty as a lawyer, but because he believes in what he is defending. He enters the story as a lawyer, but finds love in the world around Ramón; which only draws him even closer to the case; he falls in love with it as it were."

"The fact that there was a real-life person, a real-life Marc, worried me far less than actually believing in the case, i.e., believing in the script and constructing the character of a lawyer of that ilk. I identified very closely with the character and the story that Marc himself wanted to tell, and I found it more beautiful to start from scratch and defend him as me."

"Everything was very clear to Alejandro and me from the very beginning. It's one of those times when you see that everything is very clear in the director's mind, and a simple look from him is enough to make you understand what he wants. We both understood the exact subtleties and nuances we were after. The exact degree of emotion, the intensity of the situation; that's the most difficult thing in this job."

"It can't be easy to put up with five hours under film lights, while you're being made up, and then give a performance from the heart. But Javier Bardem managed to land a remarkable double whammy in his interpretation, which is a brilliantly subtle piece of work: he would always transform the atmosphere on the set when he arrived. He'd do it on purpose, as part of his interpretation. Whenever there was any emotionally difficult scene, something unpleasant for Ramón, Javier would come in and get all of us to feel the tension he was feeling before the shoot started. Now, that's also interpretation of sorts. When you're playing a character like that, such a powerful person, who changes the lives of the people around him, you've got to be Bardem."

"MAR ADENTRO is a film that provokes great discussion. You come out of it talking about things you'd never talked about in your life. It's fine for films to make you laugh and cry, that's part of the show. But to provoke discussion about the sense of life after seeing a film, and to get people to take a stance on an issue as important as the one it raises, is really great."

FILMOGRAPHY

JOAQUIN. JOAN DALMAU

"Joaquin is Ramón's father, a very old man, whose life has been completely eaten away by the pain of having a son in such a state. He does everything he can to help him; everything within his power."

"My character is a man who doesn't say much. He doesn't eloquently externalize his pain, which has been brought on by his son's tragedy. That's very normal in the Galician man; he feels very deeply, but is not at all communicative. Joaquin is like that; he feels a lot, very deeply, but keeps it all to himself. His entire family is, on the whole, not very given to saying much. Because they are a normal family, who have given their all to help their son, and who find in their strong sense of union the best way to face their tragedy."

"Alejandro Amenábar knows a hell of a lot about cinema. He thinks a lot about cinema; it's easy to see that it's his life, that he gives his all to his films. He is a very conscientious guy, who knows how to instill that into his crew and cast. I think he's gotten to the top because he understands a great deal about film, and that he'll be there, at the top, for some time."

"Javier is a great actor, and a wonderful person. He was always great to work with throughout the entire film. When someone like that heads the cast, it rubs off on the way things go. It's really something in this profession to find the big name in the cast who knows how to be with the smallest actor on the set. Javier gives his all to his work, and to others. He is very nice to everyone."

"MAR ADENTRO is a soul-shattering story; it's the type of film that would move anyone, because what it talks about can happen to us all."

FILMOGRAPHY

PRODUCTION NOTES

MAR ADENTRO began to take shape after Alejandro Amenábar read Ramón Sampedro's book, LETTERS FROM HELL, published by Planeta in 1996.

"When Alejandro spoke to me about the possibility of making a film inspired by Ramón Sampedro, my first reaction was one of shock", recalls Fernando Bovaira, producer of the film, "but as we gathered more and more information, it was clear that it was a story crying out to be told".

"Since what I was working on departed from something that really happened, I started writing on my own", Amenábar points out. "At first I didn't want to re-create Ramón's story, literally. Then I realized that it was better to do the research, see what was really interesting about this true-to-life experience, and then see how to work that into the film. It is a story based on real events, but it is not a documentary, and I never wanted to steadfastly adhere to reality; I wanted fiction to intervene".

For the writing of the script, Alejandro fell back on the person who worked with him on his first films, Mateo Gil, a screenwriter and director like himself.

"The scriptwriting phase, like the music phase, is the phase where you suffer most, and there I have an ally in Mateo. We haven't always written together. In THESIS we outlined the story, which I then wrote. The script of OPEN YOUR EYES was written by both of us, but I wrote THE OTHERS alone. I think that MAR ADENTRO was an excuse for us to get together again because we really enjoy working together; we're very good friends and he seemed the ideal person to work this dreamy universe into the story, avoiding straightforward linearity. Mateo helped me take it into the journey dimension, that dream-like realm", says Amenábar.

PHASE ONE: GATHERING THE FACTS

Working with characters who existed in real life influenced the development of the film. Alejandro dealt with the people who had been close to Ramón Sampedro, while Mateo took care of the fiction side.

"It took a lot of unflappable courage to say: 'I know that was probably said many, many times by the real characters, but it doesn't fit here', says Gil. "My idea of the story is probably more removed from reality, and closer to the image that Ramón himself tried to convey. Because he was a great actor, a man of many parts".

From the production standpoint, the combination of fiction and reality also brought its complications.

"When there are real people behind the characters, you need their authorization", explains Fernando Bovaira. "But I think we were delicate enough to make sure that no one felt uncomfortable. We showed them a screenplay, practically the finished one, they said okay and gave their authorization for Alejandro to work freely with the characters from there on".

"If Mateo had written this film on his own, he would have gone for a completely fragmented story, with lots of breaks in the time structure", says Amenábar. "He liked the Ramón that existed before the accident, the Ramón that traveled a lot, the Ramón that had so many women; all the things he had done in his life thus far. I was more interested in the Ramón that came into being after the accident, the one who started reading philosophy. But we didn't rule out anything, and Ramón's past is very present in his present".

What the scriptwriters did decide not to do was chronologically detail the ups-and-downs of Sampedro's legal battles.

"We couldn't delve deeply into the legal battle because it's the sort of thing you're either interested in or not; if you're not, on screen it can become rather tedious. It is there, it's certainly mentioned: the position of the Spanish legal system, and, most of all, the unjustifiable position of the politicians", says Mateo Gil.

"The more we found out about the case, the more indignant Mateo became at the way Ramón had been treated by the courts", Alejandro recalls. "But I think it's only a matter of time before legal provisions will be made for this issue; it will, one day, be normalized. So if the slant was on the legal battle, the film would soon become obsolete. It seemed more important to me that someone seeing it in a few years should continue to give thought to the whole issue of what is life and what is death".

THE CORNERSTONE: THE CAST

Once the necessary authorizations were obtained and signed, the production team set about finding the cast.

"I think that the key to OUT TO THE SEA is the very natural interpretation of the characters", Amenábar explains. "I try to characterize through the dialogue. For that to grip the spectator, the interpretation has to be absolutely realistic. In this film we were after truth".

Says Fernando Bovaira: "The aim of the casting was also to achieve credibility. Logically, we began with Ramón. Alejandro wanted an actor of a particular age, and we looked around in the theatre. Since it was such a complex character, who needed to have the kind of introspection that few actors can give, with a certain sensuality as well, it was only logical that he should have ended up choosing Javier Bardem. Once that was done, we hired Luis San Narciso as casting director. He did an excellent job; and very laborious work it was too. But thanks to him we found actors who might not be very well known now, but certainly will be after this film".

"You've got to give new opportunities to new people, or to people who haven't worked in the cinema", says Alejandro Amenábar. "I'd seen Belén Rueda on television and I knew she had the emotional complexity as well as the capacity for imagination and improvisation necessary to play opposite Bardem. Her character isn't there to provide comic relief; not even lightly so. She is a dramatic character. The presence of someone like her brought light to the story. When you see Belén in any scene, you're seeing someone who's very full of life".

"I was absolutely scared of the cinema", Belén recalls, "because working in television is quite different. When I read the script, I didn't think twice about the character. I understood Julia from the very first moment, but one could easily identify with any of the characters. The tears that came to your eyes were real".

To play Rosa, another fundamental element in the story, Alejandro chose Lola Duenas.

"Lola has all the brazen qualities of the character she plays, that touch of madness, as well as the intensity and humour. The minute she appears on the screen, you know someone will soon be crying, or laughing. At the outset, Rosa is an anti-heroine, but as the film progresses, she becomes the heroine. This type of contradictory character, this type of loser, even - in Lola's case it's someone who loses one thing but gains something else - really attracts me, and Lola was perfect for that", says the director.

THE FOUNDATION PILLARS: DESIGNING THE PRODUCTION

The production was designed on a budget of ten million euros. "From the point of view of production design, MAR ADENTRO is similar to THE OTHERS: a limited space, with interiors, most of which were shot on a set, while the exterior locations were found in the area of Xuno (Galicia), which is absolutely beautiful. We always moved within a radius that was very close to where Ramón lived all his life", says Fernando Bovaira. "Locations for the film were sought and found in areas around Galicia, Madrid and Barcelona".

"The script was very carefully constructed with a view to allowing the narration to move within a great variety of settings, characters and situations", says the producer. "It was important for the spectator not to get the feeling that he was always in interiors. Alejandro also wanted Barcelona to serve as a counter to Galicia. The Barcelona settings are more sophisticated. It allowed for a nice visual interplay between urban and rural Spain".

In the credit list of MAR ADENTRO, we come across names familiar to us from other Alejandro Amenábar films. Emiliano Otegui, the line producer, has worked with him since THESIS. Javier Aguirresarobe was also the cinematographer on THE OTHERS. Benjamín Fernández, Sonia Grande and Ana López Puigcerver - art direction, costumes and makeup respectively - also work here with him, for the second time.

Alejandro sums up the general line of work followed by the production design team as follows: "We didn't want anything forced or overly laden with effects; we were interested in what was most expressive. There was, a priori, something interesting about the exterior. And for the interior we chose colors that blended with the costumes and suited the actors' faces. Our original idea was to go to Galicia and build the house in the best landscape available. But there the climate is a problem. In just one day of a shoot, the weather could change every two or three hours. So we went back to the same studio where we shot THE OTHERS, in a smaller set, with blue screens. I've always been one for those little artifices".

"We brought in a make-up artist to transform Javier Bardem" Fernando Bovaira explains. "Jo Allen is an English makeup artist, who recently worked on Gladiator and The Hours. She did a sublime and extremely laborious job. Bardem's characterization is so natural, so credible, that it's as though you're seeing Bardem and not seeing him at the same time".

Bardem required five hours' makeup every day, which was always done by Allen, after which he was ready to interpret Ramón Sampedro.

"The excellent makeup was an important aid for my work. When I saw myself in the mirror, made up like that, I relaxed, because that always served to bring an important realm of reality to things. All I had to do then was to match the character to his makeup", says Bardem.

PHASE THREE: SHOOTING - A LIFE-GIVING INJECTION

The film was shot in chronological order beginning in Galicia, at As Furnas beach, where Ramón Sampedro suffered the accident that changed the course of his life. The entire cast and crew made their way there in July 2003, to start a shoot which turned out to be twelve weeks long.

"Galicia was the right place to start talking about Ramón. By visiting his town and his house, we were immediately totally immersed in things, which really helped us", says Clara Segura.

Before the shoot started, some of the actors had the chance to meet some of the real people they were going to play.

"I was worried when I was preparing the character about dehumanizing the person in question, who was still alive", says Celso Bugallo. "I went about it very carefully, without making any concessions. After meeting him, and after getting a video of interviews with José, his manner of speaking provided the key".

Lola Duenas recalls her meetings with Ramona Maneiro. "Whenever she had a moment off from work, we'd meet and talk. I think I really milked her for all she was worth, because I took along a camera and recorded her. It must have been hard for her to talk with someone who was recording her and looking at her, because it wasn't exactly a normal conversation. She was very generous".

There was another surprise in store for the cast during the shoot.

"I think it was only normal, in my evolution as a director, that I should move to something new in my direction of actors for this film", says Amenábar. "In order to find the real truth of the characters, I tried as much as possible to avoid rehearsal. I wanted to reserve that for the camera. What is seen in the final edited version of the film is really improvised by them, especially by Belen in the most dramatically charged moments. Before this film I could never have imagined myself shooting without following the written text to the letter".

Belen Rueda recalls: "Alejandro knew how to make us believe we were changing something by making us voice how we felt things. Afterwards we'd realize that we hadn't really departed from what was originally written. What was in the script was there for a purpose".

"A concerted effort was made to get us to go in the same direction", says Mabel Rivera. "It was a very relaxing shoot, there was time for correcting things, following certain very clear guidelines".

"The tears and the laughter seen in the film are real," says Tamar Novas.

Javier Bardem had to deal with the most complicated part of the shoot. Apart from the very elaborate makeup, to make him look older, there were also all the physical constraints involved in turning him into someone who's lost the use of his arms and legs.

"Since I'm quite big and bulky, we had to find the right position to hide my shoulders by keeping my back in a bent posture", Bardem recalls. "And Paco, who is a great physiotherapist, prepared a special pillow for me, which helped me to keep it in a bent position. Apart from that, the makeup would run, I couldn't move my hands, I had to keep my shoulders wedged in, not to mention keep up the Galician accent… But, at the end of the day, all those technicalities helped me not to lose concentration. And they made me understand that Ramón, from that situation of physical immobility, was extremely alert to all the very little things that went on around him. He was by no means someone who had given in to his lot".

THE FINAL CHAPTER: THE PHYSICS OF SURPRISE

During the shoot, there was also time for improvisation and for magic, although these didn't always come from the actors. One of the most complicated days of the shoot was when the team had to shoot a very moving montage scene.

"Of all my films, this is the one which unfolds over the longest time period", says Amenábar. "When we were writing, we realized that those few months would be more effectively rendered, with greater weight and substance, if everything was seen from Ramón's bed. Since he wrote many letters, he himself could be the one narrating what was going on. Visually, we turned that into a neat combination of cross-dissolves around him, without ever losing the overall continuity. That was done with a robotized camera, called Motion Control, which follows the movements of the actors, one after the other".

Like the rest of the film, this scene was shot in super 35. For the director, shooting in scope was something that had always been there, gnawing away at him; he was finally able to do it in MAR ADENTRO.

"From my first feature, I wanted to shoot in panoramic sequences. Budgetary constraints didn't allow it in the first film. In the second, we didn't because we shot the empty Gran Vía sequence prior to principal photography, in another format. And in THE OTHERS, we did a few tests, which didn't quite work out the way we wanted. This film has allowed me to see that it is the best format. Irrespective of the intimate nature of the story, it is perfect for sequence composition, especially when there are two characters in the frame. And even more so if you want to fly out of the room", says Amenábar.

And, talking about long harbored desires, the crew and cast of MAR ADENTRO allowed the director to fulfill one that's always been close to his heart: to take off in flight.

"Flying is something I associate with dreams", Amenábar explains. "It isn't the first time that I've wanted to introduce a flying sequence in my films, and since, while I was writing this script, I dreamt one night that I was flying, we decided to incorporate it into things. In the shoot, there was a very special sensation that we wanted to create: that of the spectator flying around the area where Ramón Sampedro lived, to visit his emotional landscapes. We did it with a special camera, hooked on to a helicopter, manned by a French pilot who was very experienced in that sort of thing, which is by no means easy. Flying was something that Ramón did very often. He'd fly via music. Ramón's story is a journey".

RAMÓN SAMPEDRO

Ramón Sampedro was born in 1943, in Xuno, A Coruna. At the age of nineteen, he joined the crew of a Norwegian ship, keen to go out and discover the world. At the age of twenty-five, he suffered an accident, diving headlong into the water from a rock, and was violently swept back by the rough, ebbing tide. He was paralyzed from the neck down and condemned to spend the rest of his life lying in a bed. Ramón went back home to his family. He was determined to end his life. The total paralysis of his body prevented him from carrying out his decision by his own hand. He therefore decided to begin legal proceedings to achieve his objective. His petition, which took years to go through the legal system, received major coverage in the national and international press, but he did not achieve his desired aim. In 1996, Ramón published all his writings, put together in a volume entitled LETTERS FROM HELL. In 1998, he decided to carry out his plan to put an end to his life, without incriminating anyone close to him. He died on January 12th, 1998. A book of his poetry, entitled CANDO EU CAIA, was published posthumously.

註：以上資訊由片主或其推廣代表提供。本網並不保證此等資訊是否正確。
Note: The information above is provided by the owners of the film or their agents who are responsible for the promotion of the film. We do not guarantee the accuracy of such information.

相關連結 Related Links

搜索本網 Search this Site:

 
Copyright(C) 1999-2011 Hong Kong Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.