Laia Alabart, Alba Cros, Laura Rius and Marta Verheyen, graduates in Audiovisual Communication by UPF are the directors of the film "Les amigues de l'Àgata", a project that started out as a final year project and has become quite a success.

- What would be the synopsis of "Les amigues de l'Àgata"?

It is the portrait of the friendship of a group of twenty-year-old girls, seen through the eyes of Àgata during her first year of university. The film goes from her life in Barcelona to a trip to the Costa Brava, on which she perceives how her world together with her childhood friends Carla, Ari and Mar is transformed.

- How would you describe the protagonist?

Àgata is a reserved girl. She doesn't like conflicts and tries to avoid them even if it means not expressing her opinion. During her first year at university she makes new friends and finds new interests. This leads her to discover herself and question everything around her, including her relationship with her friends from school. Although she loves them, she starts to become aware of the growing differences that separate them.

- To what extent does the film reflect your personal experiences?

Our experiences of friendship were the starting point. It was very important to be able to talk about some feeling that the four of us had lived, so that a story could materialize that had a real connection with each of us. The aim was to achieve a kind of emotional truth through working together with the actresses. So, we preferred to talk about this small, personal, inner experience, and with a light, spontaneous and even flawed style, as a series of fragments of the lives of fictional characters.

"It was very important to be able to talk about some feeling that the four of us had lived, so that a story could materialize that had a real connection with each of us".

- How did you live the crossover to the University? What most marked you?

For us it was the opportunity to meet other people that share interests and affinities. This creates a very stimulating predisposition to learn new things, get projects under way, share experiences, etc. We also enjoyed some subjects and lecturers, and all in all it enriched our curiosity about the film industry.

- Why do you think this step is such an important moment in the life of a young person?

In our case, perhaps what was most important is that we began to have more time to think and decide about what we like: you broaden your outlook towards many things and start to build everything that allows you to become more independent. For this reason the idea was to make a film that we could make now, at the age of twenty, that would be very difficult to make later.

- Does the film portray a group of friends or an entire generation?

It is the portrait of a group of friends and we have tried to make it as realistic and spontaneous as possible. So, the generational aspect comes from the way in which the characters speak, behave, dress, etc., but it doesn't come from a prior intention.

Trailer "Las amigas de Ágata"

 

- You have won the Abycine Indie prize at the Festival of Albacete, at the Barcelona Amateur Film Festival you took the audience award and tickets to see your film sold out... Why do you think "Les amigues d'Àgata" has been so successful?

People have told us that they find it close to home, that the actresses make everything that happens credible, and therefore they can relate to the story so well. We also assume that this bond with the audience arises because the film deals with a very specific experience that we might all have lived. As we started the project without anticipating any dissemination, all the acknowledgement we are getting now has come as a big surprise, a joy and motivation shared with all the people who made the film with us.

- What difficulties has your lack of experience and resources meant for you?

We have turned inexperience and a lack of resources into our strong point. We didn't set off from a professional approach, rather one of learning and collaboration. We had no budget, rather the freedom and the desire to film without pressure over a long period. For us, it was important for the film to piece itself together as we recorded, envisioned, rewrote, etc. For this reason, where we actually wrote the film was at the editing stage. This flexibility would have been very difficult with less flexible filming.

"We had no budget, rather the freedom and the desire to film without pressure over a long period".

- Do you think that working with such a small team is what has created such an intimate feeling as conveyed by the film?

Absolutely. It was a very conscious decision right from the beginning. Not creating great technical infrastructures meant we could film and build scenes with greater freedom. We sought at all times a relaxed atmosphere in which we all felt comfortable and in which moments of improvisation came naturally.

- What you have learned throughout the process?

Loads! Since the project began as part of the final year project, we were able to devote a year to it, unlike what happened with other projects, that were part of termly subjects. All this time was key because we were able to talk a lot among ourselves, attend workshops and share our concerns with our tutors (Gonzalo de Lucas, Elías León Siminiani and Isaki Lacuesta), who guided us as we began to discover the possibilities of the film.

- And now, what are your future projects?

We really enjoyed sharing this project, and if the opportunity arises later, we would be very happy to repeat a similar experience.