The San Sebastian Film Festival is held in San Sebastian, one of the northern cities of Spain. The city is located near the sea, where most of the festival’s main activities also take place. The festival activities are all located quite close to each other. The main center of the city is near the complex, and, as a result, there is very good and easy access to most of the films of the festival. Attendees can easily sit and watch the films of their choice and analyze them.
The San Sebastian Film Festival is held almost at the same time as the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, so some of the programs in the other two festivals overlap with this one. The films are arranged in such a way that some experience their first screening at Venice, and then they are shown in the sub-sections of San Sebastian, or they are shown first at San Sebastian in close proximity to their screening in Toronto.
One Second
The opening film of this year’s festival was the latest work of the famous director, Zhang Yimou, called One Second. The film was supopsed to be screened at the Berlin Film Festival in 2019, but was dropped at the last minute for reasons that may have been political. An allegorical film about the events of the 60s in China and a beautiful allegory and narrative about cinema and its power, the film follows a man who tries his best to find a film from which a reel has been stolen. He wants to return to reel to its rightful owner so that the movie can be played. Later as the film goes on, we find out what the reason for this man’s interest and insistence on playing the film. The beautiful scenery of nature and the plains, as well as its references to the historical events of that decade in China, make this film spectacular.
The Good Boss
Another eagerly awaited film was Javier Bardem’s The Good Boss directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa. An allegorical comedy about a man who is the boss in a successful factory in Spain. But he is also in pursuit of an international award and will do just about anything to get it. The film is a mockery of capitalism and how people try to use it to advance their goals. Even themes such as feminism, equality, etc. are exploited by those at the center of power. The structure sometimes reminded me of the film Parasite, but the comedic aspect of this work is more pronounced. A Good Boss is also a film that, unlike Parasite, does not try to send a clichéd message, but keeps and shows the reality as it is. Javier Bardem’s excellent performance as the boss and the intimate atmosphere of Spain and the comedic environment of the films and events that are in line with the events of our cultural space have all made the Good Boss, one of the best films of the festival, It did not leave expectations unfulfilled.
As in Heaven
Another highlight of the festival was the film, As in Heaven directed by Tea Lindeburg. The film follows the life of a girl who’s fallen victim to the patriarchal system. The film reminds us of Russian novels like Anna Karenina. The characters are very real and seem to be operating independently of the director’s ideas. The father and the other characters are all somehow shown to be caught up in a patriarchal system. But we also see how they themselves somehow played a role in the formation of this structure and no one can be called a hero or an anti-hero. All of them, in the position they were in and the course in which they lived, caused that patriarchal system to be established and formed at that time. And on the other hand, they have all been victims of this incident in some way. One of the most thought-provoking films with a structure that shows an experienced director. A film that also has references to Bergman, for example, and can be seen in the form of symbolism and framing. The protagonist’s fascinating acting makes the audience able to communicate with all their emotions such as joy and sorrows, emotional ups and downs throughout the film. This work is one of the best films of the festival.