Peer Review: La Pele

Who are three contemporaries that you admire and why?

Park Chan-wook. I love his cinema, particularly the delicacy with which he approaches his characters. He gives them so many layers, so much depth and complexity, that they become almost impossible to reduce to a single definition. 

Javier Bardem. Of course, I admire his career as an actor, but what I find particularly valuable is the way he uses his platform to speak out against the injustices of this world. Without fear, without hesitation, and without hiding behind the idea of being apolitical, something we've become far too accustomed to. 

For me, that's one of the greatest skills a director can have: the ability to elevate a script through incredibly precise acting.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw. First of all, for her extraordinary eye and her ability to create images that are both visually powerful and deeply connected to the story.But also for something that goes far beyond cinematography. 

In 2026, she became the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Cinematography. The first woman. In almost a hundred years of Academy Awards. I think that says quite a lot about the industry we've been working in. 

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that exemplify great direction, and explain why. 

1. Renault – Historias Argentinas, directed by Pantera. 

A beautiful example of how storytelling can be found in absolutely any product. There's something deeply intimate about the narrative, with beautifully composed frames that almost feel like postcards, and an emotional sensitivity that runs through the entire film. 

I love how every image feels carefully crafted, yet the emotion never gets lost in the aesthetics. To me, that's where great direction happens: when craft and emotion become part of the same language. 

I find something almost magical about simplicity when it's done right. The ability to strip everything down to its essence and still communicate so much. Sometimes, the less you show, the more you make people feel. 

2. BMW – ¿Te gusta conducir? Simplicity at its absolute best. 

And here, I also have to celebrate the brilliant concept behind it. We never see the car. Just a feeling, a simple, universal gesture we've all experienced. 

I find something almost magical about simplicity when it's done right. The ability to strip everything down to its essence and still communicate so much. Sometimes, the less you show, the more you make people feel. 

3. Olga Basha – New Jeans, directed by Matias & Mathias.

What I really admire here is how the tone is shaped through direction, especially through the performances. 

For me, that's one of the greatest skills a director can have: the ability to elevate a script through incredibly precise acting. 

It's not just about what the characters say or do, but how they do it. The smallest gestures, the pauses, the timing, the subtle choices that turn a written scene into something genuinely alive. 

That's where directing becomes so much more than simply translating a script into images.

Above: ¿Te gusta conducir? for BMW (2000).

What do you like most about the work that you do? 

I believe in a well-structured hierarchy, where different people, each with their own role, come together to form something that works almost like a perfect mechanism. 

When we're on set, watching an entire crew come together is something I find genuinely fascinating. Beautiful, even magical. All those people, with different skills, responsibilities, and perspectives, moving towards the same purpose. 

There's something extraordinary about that human choreography. If you step back and look at it from the outside, it can almost restore your faith in cooperation. In the idea of filmmaking as a deeply human craft. And please, I don't want to sound too grandiose. As I always say, we're not saving lives or putting out fires. 

I find it almost absurd to distance ourselves from what's already happening, from what already exists.

What was your journey to becoming a director? 

I wouldn't call it an organic journey, because, as we all know, becoming a director isn't exactly easy. Like any artistic career, it took a lot of effort, persistence, and pushing doors open, even when none seemed to exist. 

My father was a photographer. He had a different way of observing the world, an eye trained to notice the smallest details, a gaze that constantly asks, "Why not?" when most people seem more comfortable simply saying "no," which he always tried to pass on to me and my brother. 

As I grew older and became more aware of myself and the world around me, whenever someone asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I started answering, "I just want to think." Over time, I've learned to think in many different ways. And sometimes, I've also wished I could stop thinking quite so much. 

I started out in creative advertising as a copywriter, moved to London, came back to Barcelona, found my way into art direction on film sets, and eventually made the leap into directing. Sounds easy, right? Hahaha. Well, it really wasn't. But right now, I'm in a sweet moment, surrounded by people and production companies I trust who share my passion and my way of understanding filmmaking. 

Where does your passion for telling human stories come from? 

We're human, aren't we? How could I possibly separate myself from that? To me, it makes no sense to move away from who we really are, from what moves us. 

Reality is already there, every single day. The moment you step outside your front door, it's right in front of you. The neighbour who, for some reason, has decided not to say hello today. Or the mechanic next door, smoking a cigarette outside his workshop before picking up his cold tools. 

I find it almost absurd to distance ourselves from what's already happening, from what already exists. That's why I always try to bring something deeply human into everything I do. Some shared human truth that runs through the work and connects it all. 

I think there's a huge difference between asking people to execute a list of instructions and inviting them to be part of an idea. 

What is one thing all directors need? 

Clarity. 

Not about having all the answers, but about knowing which question you're trying to answer. 

A film is made of thousands of decisions, and I believe they should all connect to one idea. The challenge is to never lose sight of the whole while getting lost in the details. But clarity is also about communication. About being able to express your vision in a way that your entire crew understands not just what they're doing, but why they're doing it. 

Otherwise, you're just sending people out with a shopping list without telling them what they're cooking. I think there's a huge difference between asking people to execute a list of instructions and inviting them to be part of an idea.