18 NOV - 4 DEC 2022
ONSITE & ONLINE

Satellites: Albert Serra

Parallel

At last year’s l’Alternativa we launched our first Satellites: celestial sessions with acclaimed Spanish filmmakers whose paths have often crossed with l’Alternativa and who splashed down at the festival to give a masterclass and curate a programme of films linked to their creative universe.

This year we have graciously invited the enfant terrible of Catalan cinema, Albert Serra (Banyoles, 1975), to give a masterclass offering a glimpse into his—in his own words—chaotic way of working, as well as to programme a pithy selection of films of his choosing. Serra did a PhD in Theory of Literature and Comparative Literature at the Universitat de Barcelona before embarking on his glittering career, which has seen his acclaimed work screened at festivals, art centres and cinemas worldwide. To tie in with his masterclass, he has programmed his mesmerising short Cubalibre (2014) in dialogue with Ulrich Seidl’s early feature Mit Verlust ist zu rechnen (1992).

He has had a string of successes at Cannes, including Honor de cavalleria (2006, Quinzaine des Réalisateurs), La mort de Louis XIV (2016, Jean Vigo Award), Liberté (2019, Un Certain Regard, Special Jury Prize) and Pacifiction (2022). Furthermore, Història de la meva mort (2013) won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival. He has been the subject of numerous retrospectives at cinemas, art centres, and museums across the globe, including documenta, Biennale di Venezia, CCCB, Centre Pompidou and MoMA. He won the LUMA Prize at Les Rencontres d'Arles in 2011.

In addition to raising the profile of Spanish filmmakers crafting alternative visions to mainstream cinema through their own original ways of working, the Satellites section also provides unique opportunities for direct, creative exchange between filmgoers and filmmakers.