Laura Collado has developed and produced several documentaries such as “La Casa” and “Yorgos.” “Constructing Albert” is her feature directorial debut.
“Constructing Albert” will premiere at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival on March 9. The film is co-directed by Jim Loomis.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
LC: “Constructing Albert” is a story of ambition and self-assurance set in the world of haute cuisine. Whilst chef Albert Adrià played a principal role in the achievements of elBulli, the restaurant that revolutionized the world of gastronomy, he got very little recognition for it.
His need to create, to express himself, and to become the master pushes him to build his own gastronomic empire and confronts him with his past, his thirst of recognition, and his idea of success.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
LC: We love character-driven documentaries, and Albert’s contradictory personality captivated us from day one. We knew about elBulli and Albert’s brother, head chef Ferran Adrià, but we didn’t really know about how Albert fit into the whole story of the restaurant that got to be the best in the world. There seemed to be a latent competition between the two brothers — the one that everyone knew, and the one that had remained in the shadows.
For us it was about discovering common human nature in the story of a highly creative and ambitious individual. I wanted to question what we generally understand success to be.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
LC: I would like people to feel inspired, and to think that things can be done and goals can be achieved. The Adrià brothers are one of those examples that prove that it is creativity, hard work, and flexibility that gets people to succeed in whatever challenge they set up for themselves. They are working-class people who rose to the top of their game by sheer perseverance and talent. Talent, however, can be innate, or can be learned. Will is very important.
What Albert says at the beginning of the film sets quite clearly what I hope people would take from the story they are about to see: “People generally think too much about the past or worry too much about the future. I, however, concentrate in thinking — I can change my day-to-day. I can create my own world.”
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
LC: There were several challenges in making this film, [including] a common one in documentary-making: raising the funding. Production took over four years, and so we really had to persevere even when there was no money or prospect of the film finding the audience.
Editing was also challenging. We had a lot of material, and we wanted to keep as much as possible a verité style in the film, but with so many characters and locations we often struggled to find the balance between context and character.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
LC: In Spain and Europe the main source of funding for documentaries is public grants and broadcasters. We established a co-production with our regional broadcaster, Catalan Television TVC, who is very active and supportive when it comes to producing and broadcasting documentaries.
That got the project off the ground. However, Spain was in a big financial crisis, and public grants were cut to the bear minimum, leaving our financial plan with big gaps. Two companies, Estrella Damm and Lavazza, brought in some funds but we self-financed most of the production.
When we were about to start post-production I got in contact with an old colleague, Estonian producer Marianne Ostrat. She fell in love with the film, and so we established a co-production with Alexandra Film. Music and sound post-production were done in Estonia, and we were very lucky to collaborate with a very talented composer and sound designer to give the film the great music score it has.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at SXSW?
LC: After starting the year participating at Palm Springs International Film Festival, when we found out that SXSW had selected “Constructing Albert” as part of their Festival Favorites, we were ecstatic. It is a great honorand we are very much looking forward to seeing the audience reactions to the film in Austin.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
LC: When I went to set up my production company in the midst of the financial crisis, a cultural officer from the government looked at me with disbelief and said to me, “The world belongs to the bold.” His comment took me by surprise because I thought his role was supposed to be encouraging filmmaking and culture production in our country, and the way he said it sounded rather discouraging.
That comment reminded me that the journey would not be exempt of fear, and I would have to be prepared to deal with it, so I consider it as positive advice, and remember it often when I need to make decisions.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
LC: Find subjects you are truly passionate about. You’ll need that extra drive and energy that real passion gives you to overcome the challenges.
Find a producer that you really connect with. A creative relationship needs to be honest, and open to compromise. You will need to share all kinds of moments with your “partners in crime.”
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
LC: One of my favorite woman-directed documentary films is “The Gleaners and I” by Agnès Varda. When I first saw it I remember being very excited about the possibilities of the documentary language. It was witty, poetic, somehow absurd. It made me relate, and also reflect about the most unexpected elements in life. Somehow it felt like she was unveiling invisible patterns.
W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. Many women — and some men — in the industry are speaking publicly about their experiences being assaulted and harassed. What are your thoughts on the #TimesUp movement and the push for equality in the film business?
LC: My thought is very simple: it is about time. Not being a Hollywood filmmaker, I can only begin to imagine how hard it must have been to make the decision to speak up, so I can only congratulate those who have come forward for their courage.
In Europe, the clear inequality in the film business, and other industries, is making the news, and in Spain for example, CIMA — the women filmmakers association — is becoming more prominent every year, contributing to the collaboration of women filmmakers. This year’s Spanish contestant for the Oscars — “Summer 1993” by female director Carla Simón — was also produced by two female producers, Valerie Delpierre and María Zamora. To see female filmmakers get the limelight was very empowering, and necessary.
