Introduction: In this insightful interview, Laura Muñoz takes us behind the scenes of the documentary Jesus Christ Flamenco, which captures the dynamic creative process of producing a flamenco-based musical adaptation. This film dives deep into the artistic world of flamenco, a genre rooted in Spanish culture, known for its raw emotion and improvisational nature. The interview highlights the challenges and triumphs of documenting such an intense and intimate art form. From the significance of roundtable discussions to the unique use of mirrors as a storytelling device, Muñoz reveals the layers of collaboration between musicians, choreographers, and other creatives that contributed to the film’s authentic atmosphere. Readers will discover the passion, dedication, and subtle artistry involved in this compelling documentation of artistic creation
Patrick Roy, UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): What inspired you to document the creative process behind the musical film Jesus Christ Flamenco?
Laura Muñoz (LM): Musical workshops are very common in show business. The big musicals always resort to this type of meeting to put the work that has been done on paper into the voices of the performers for the first time and to check with the musicians that the show will come out as it was originally intended on paper. In the case of Jesus Christ Flamenco, it was very interesting because flamenco involves a lot of improvisation. It is also a very intimate and deep way of singing. A workshop on flamenco is something that was a very interesting challenge for me.
(UM): Can you discuss the significance of the roundtable discussions among the creative team, and how they influenced the overall direction of the musical?
(LM): When I first sat down with Pepe Begines, the composer and lyricist along with Juanjo Téllez, I wanted to know more about the future film that would be made after the rehearsals. Pepe, Juanjo, and Antonio P. Pérez (the producer) had been working on the future film for several years and I wanted to make a pact to read their project. I wanted to enter the universe of its creators so that I could participate in the project and understand the work. The round table was very important for the direction because I realised that I had to become an invisible director in order to collect the purest performances.
(UM): Flamenco is deeply rooted in Spanish culture. How did you approach capturing the essence of flamenco in this documentary, particularly in relation to the film’s production?
(LM): In flamenco, the musicality is strong (the instruments like the cajón, the guitar and the percussion, the taconeo), but there is another part that is very intimate and deep, and that is the core of flamenco. A voice that comes from the deepest part, animated by the sounds of the instruments, that goes deep into our hearts. Capturing the essence of flamenco had to be done with respect. Without imposing rules. Watching those moments when the musician and the performer sing and hum until they find the right tone, when the musical director embraces the performer who doesn’t know if he’s done it right, borrowing his soul so that the audience can discover those beautiful moments that the public normally can’t see.
(UM): The use of mirrors in the documentary has been highlighted as a significant visual element. Can you explain how this choice enhances the storytelling and reflects the creative process?
(LM): I admire Agnès Varda and her mirrors on the beach and The Lady from Shanghai of Welles. The location, the headquarters of the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, gave us the opportunity to create a magical environment with the mirrors. We enclosed the artists in a labyrinth of mirrors, creating a kind of capsule in which they were isolated from the rest of the team. In silence, just them and the mirrors. They say that mirrors reflect energy, I don’t know if that’s true, but it helped us discover the most magical scene in the documentary. The mirrors gave us infinite reflections as a metaphor for the creative process in its infinite possibilities.
(UM): How did the collaboration between musicians, choreographers, and other creatives contribute to the unique atmosphere and style of the documentary?
(LM): It was a unique experience for all the professionals who took part in the filming, each of them contributing their own art and discipline with complete freedom. The musicians were constantly experimenting, the choreographer was rehearsing the fusion of flamenco with other forms of modern dance, the costume designers were playing with their materials to add colour to the atmosphere, and I, as the director, was subtly stealing their best moments without interrupting them.
(UM): You mentioned that the filming was done in a collaborative manner, without strict orders or cuts. How did this approach impact the authenticity and spontaneity of the documentary?
(LM): I think we all managed to bring out the best in each of these artists. The final scene was the result of a lot of work, of knowing how to play a lot with the tools, and for that, you need freedom and time for the artists to be relaxed, like when they rehearse in their studios or ballet studios. Making them forget that the cameras were recording them gave us unforgettable, magical moments.
(UM): What challenges did you face in documenting such a dynamic and multi-faceted creative process, and how did you overcome them?
(LM): It was exciting to silently steal the soul of each of these artists. In those moments, I wondered if the camera would be able to capture all the magical energy that all of us who were there felt while we were filming. Sure, there were difficulties, but our passion for the project made them seem very small. We had a very harmonious and committed team that made it all very easy. I am very grateful for the work of my director of photography, Elisa Moreno, and the cameramen, Samuel and Bernabé, for the intense hours of filming. They are great professionals.
(UM): The documentary draws on references from both classic and modern cinema. How did these influences shape your approach to capturing the behind-the-scenes work of Jesus Christ Flamenco?
(LM): We always had Vanya on 42nd Street in mind, and those rehearsals turned out to be a treasure. How the performers got into their roles through the music and came out to discover something new about their characters. Triana Ramos, the choreographer, brought us a choreography very much in line with the music videos of Rosalía, with whom she has worked on previous occasions, bringing freshness and modernity to the story, as well as the electric guitar fused with flamenco by Pepe Begines, which could also remind us of earlier versions of Jesus Christ Superstar. What more could you ask for? It was a fascinating process.
(UM): What do you hope audiences will take away from this documentary, especially those unfamiliar with the complexities of creating a musical?
(LM): The audience is used to seeing the finished product, where everything works and fits together. In the documentary, they were able to see what is not usually seen, how the songs are composed, and the doubts and fears of the artists and producers when it comes to betting on a complex but exciting project. I think the viewer can discover the hard work behind the music films. The passion with which the artists develop the projects and how hard they work. The viewer can discover the fascinating world of artistic creation in all its glory.
(UM): Looking back at the finished documentary, is there a particular moment or aspect that you feel best captures the spirit of the creative process behind Jesus Christ Flamenco?
(LM): The final scene is undoubtedly the result of the artistic work of the whole documentary… A scene without music, in which the artists, improvising with the music only in their heads, do something surprising, unprepared, the result of many hours of rehearsal and deepening their characters to reach this intimate and profound moment. Long live Jesus Christ Flamenco.
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