- The film, starring Javier Gutiérrez and Miguel Herrán, held its world premiere in the Official Section of the 71st SEMINCI.
The 71st Valladolid International Film Festival hosted the world premiere of El confidente, the latest film by Daniel Calparsoro, on Friday. Presented in the Official Section, out of competition, the screening took place at the Teatro Calderón, with a large number of members of the cast and crew in attendance. The director was joined by producer María Luisa Gutiérrez and actors Javier Gutiérrez, Miguel Herrán, Víctor Clavijo, Itsaso Arana, Patricia Vico and Emilio Palacios.
Inspired by true events and based on research by journalist Pablo Muñoz, El confidente is a thriller set in the early 2000s, with occasional flashbacks to the 1980s. The film explores ETA’s final years through the relationship between two men on opposing sides of the ideological divide: a veteran police officer and a young Basque separatist who eventually becomes his informant. What begins as a relationship defined by mistrust gradually develops into a genuine friendship between two people with opposing views, brought together by loneliness, loyalty and difficult decisions.
Starring Javier Gutiérrez and Miguel Herrán, the film was written by Fernando Navarro and shot last spring at various locations in Guipúzcoa and southern France. El confidente is produced by Bowfinger International Pictures and Esto También Pasará, in co-production with El Confidente Films AIE and Lionceau Films, in association with Sony Pictures and with the participation of Atresmedia and Movistar Plus.
During the presentation, Daniel Calparsoro explained that one of the aspects of the project that appealed to him most was the opportunity to tell a story set in the relatively recent past that nevertheless remains highly relevant today. “I thought a story about two people who are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and how they forge a friendship, was incredibly topical”, the filmmaker remarked. He also highlighted the emotional depth of the story and its exploration of “how we betray ourselves”. Calparsoro thanked the cast, producer and crew, whose contribution he considered essential to bringing the film to fruition.
Producer María Luisa Gutiérrez, meanwhile, recalled the excitement with which they received the news that El confidente had been selected to premiere at SEMINCI. However, she noted that the day had also been overshadowed by the shock of the railway tragedy in Toledo, and, on behalf of the entire team, expressed their heartfelt support for the victims’ families and those injured.
Gutiérrez also wished to pay tribute to emergency service professionals and volunteers who had taken part in the rescue and assistance efforts. “Sometimes we take it for granted that they will be there when we need them, and rarely stop to think about what that really means”, she said, before thanking those who put aside their own worries and fears to help people they do not even know. The producer drew a connection between this tribute and the themes explored in the film: “Behind every uniform there is a person”.
The producer also thanked the lead actors, the director, screenwriter Fernando Navarro, journalist Pablo Muñoz and the entire cast and crew, as well as SEMINCI for its warm welcome and the audience for attending the premiere.
With a career that began in 1995 with Salto al vacío, presented in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival, Daniel Calparsoro helped reshape Spanish thrillers and urban cinema during the 1990s with films such as Pasajes, A ciegas and Asfalto. His filmography also includes Guerreros, Ausentes, Cien años de perdón, El silencio de la ciudad blanca, Todos los nombres de Dios and El correo. El confidente will be released in Spanish cinemas on 29 January.
