«All human stories could make a good documentary if they were based on the truth»

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Ariadna Seuba Serra graduated in Audiovisual Communication from the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) and her first film, Operació Globus, has been broadcast in TV3’s Sense Fiction slot, and premièred at the DocsBarcelona International Documentary Festival.

The Vic-born producer and director returned to an adventure story dating back more than 40 years, and turned it into a contemporary story. Jou Puigferrer, one of six young men who left Vic to travel around the world, sets out to find the Pegaso truck he had to leave behind. Apart from the desire to discover whether he will find what he is looking for, Ariadna Seuba believes that it is easy to connect with this story, because "all of us have had dreams."

She is also the co-director of the Protesta Festival, which has established itself as a leading light in Catalan film offering a social critique. Seuba believes that as one of the privileges of a materially comfortable society, "film is a tool for empathising with people who aren't so lucky."

Your first documentary premièred on TV3 and at the Docs Barcelona festival. How did you feel about this success?

I don't know if I'd call it success, but in any case I'm very happy to have finished it. I was very happy that it could première at Docs Barcelona because it was a festival that acted as an incubator for us. They supported us with the development workshop from the very beginning. Then they selected us to participate in industry activities, we were given the opportunity to take part in rough cut screenings, where various experts give you feedback about the first cut of the documentary, and finally we reached the competition stage. I also felt very lucky to receive the backing of public television as a co-producer. Rather than a success, it's like small victories that I've really enjoyed along the way with my entire team, who are wonderful people. You have the satisfaction of seeing that all the energy and time have been worthwhile for learning, enjoying the process and having a result that you can share with people.

Why do you think Operació Globus has had such a good reception?

I think it's a story that has various aspects, which also appealed to me and excited me. It was a generation that was still heavily influenced by the Franco dictatorship, and it had a spirit of adventure in which someone who lives with that dream wants to make it come true. We have all had dreams - some stranger than others - and they're accepted by those around us to varying degrees. And everyone has a friend who is a dreamer or a Don Quixote. So I think it's easy to feel a connection with Joc's idea of doing something a little crazy. In the end what you're looking for is to be happy or in his case, to somehow return to a happy time in your life.

You were given a prize for the initial idea, and then the critics also rated the end product very highly.

Yes, I remember I was living in Amsterdam and I was sent a link with Mónica Planas' review. At first I was worried, but the truth is she was very kind and I thanked her because she valued things that many people do not attach much importance to. For example, she talked about the honesty of the story, and she said that small stories are great in their own way. During the process, some people told me I should pay more attention to the experience with drugs that the central figures in the film had, or they told me to focus on when they got angry on the trip. And that wasn't the story I wanted to tell. I think she also appreciated the fact that I was a young female director, as unfortunately it's difficult for women to have a high profile. I suppose she mentioned me as an example of something she would like to see more often - more young women like me directing documentaries and being on Sense Ficció on TV3 in prime time.

«The idea for Protesta came about in a bar with some friends, wondering how it's possible that the world is going in the direction it's going and being firmly convinced that a lot of people think like us and that all is not lost»

Your projects have a strongly social side to them. Are you more comfortable with real stories than fiction?

No, in fact I really enjoy writing and I often write stories of fiction. I still haven't tried my luck with it, and I'm a little wary of it, but I'm not ruling fiction out. I do really like the contact with real stories; I mean they have a grain of truth that fascinates me. I'm a film buff, I love watching films and I see as many as I can. What doesn't appeal to me is science fiction - I find it hard to get into it.

What ingredients does a human story need to become a good documentary?

All human stories could make a good documentary if they were based on the truth. Perhaps the key ingredient for me is emotion, which inspires some kind of feeling in you, good or bad. You don't always have to appeal to happiness; you can use sadness, pain, loss, any of the human emotions that ultimately bring us together.

How did the idea to create the Protesta Festival come about?

The idea for Protesta came about in a bar with some friends, wondering how it's possible that the world is going in the direction it's going and being firmly convinced that a lot of people think like us and that all is not lost. And that led to the idea of creating a space where we can bring all those interests together, and encourage people to think about or rethink how we could do things better. There are many social problems in both Vic and Catalonia, but we’re in a fortunate position. We have food on the table, a roof over our heads, health (with cutbacks, but public health), and decent education. And film is a tool for empathising with people who aren't so lucky and for being aware that it's up to us to make things change. This little project has gradually grown, and we've been working in various areas: we support directors who make whistle-blower films, we invite activists to tell us about their projects or initiatives, and we try to bring powerful films from all over the world talking about very different situations. In fact, one of the films that Protesta premièred this year in Spain is For Sama, which was an Oscar nominee, so we are committed to top quality cinema. We're very happy because we're involved in a process of consolidation where we now have a clear idea of what Protesta is and now, although we prefer quality to quantity, we would like to see more people in the cinemas and move beyond the Osona region. This year we have already done events in Girona, Barcelona, Manresa, Manlleu and Tona, and we want to continue growing.

Apart from Protesta, can you tell us about any other project you're working on?

There are always projects for the future, and above all the desire to do them. You can have fifteen ideas just on the bus journey from Vic to Barcelona. Then they have to be feasible, you have to have time, and that's not always the case. I'm sure that I'll be outlining a project over the next few months, because I really want to direct another documentary. I’ve returned to Catalonia after nine years away, and I want to be here. Now I've started working with the production company Astronau, and I'm working with them on a short fiction film, a documentary series, a television programme, and other projects that we hope will be see the light this year.

«The interesting part is striking the balance where you do things that don't completely satisfy you so you can do something else that you're passionate about»

How do you remember your time at UVic as a student?

I have fond memories of university life. We're fortunate enough to work in a world that hardly seems like a job. You don't think about the hours you spend on it like you might in a factory. You have to reinvent yourself all the time because there is a major creative aspect to it, but you have to start each project from scratch. I had a great time at university and I don't remember having to study as being much of a problem, because there were so many practical classes involving working as a team. Doing a second degree would be great, but I haven't the time, although I have an anthropology degree on my to-do list. I also remember that I started at the university and a week later I was working in local media. It was a good combination that was very useful to me.

What advice would you give to students who want to pursue a career in the audiovisual world?

First of all, have a positive outlook. I remember feeling terrified when I left and went to look for a job because we were told it was very difficult to find employment. And in the end it wasn't true. It's a difficult and competitive world, but if you have a passion for something and you wake up every morning wanting to do it, it's impossible not to do it. Maybe you won't have the ideal production company or the state-of-the-art technical equipment that's on the market, you may not be lucky enough to be nominated for an Oscar, but if you just want to make a film and stick with it, you can do it. And I wish somebody had told me that and that you don't need to follow in anyone's footsteps. So the best advice is to do what you're passionate about and makes you excited. If money's tight, you'll find a way to do a second job to make ends meet. The interesting part is striking the balance where you do things that don't completely satisfy you so you can do something else that you're passionate about. It's like life itself - it's not always a bed of roses. Sometimes you have to tidy your room or take the car for the MOT, which nobody enjoys, but it has to be done.