Why do I film?: By way of introduction
By Pablo Acosta Larroca
On December 22, 2010, after browsing through some Spanish magazines, I came across an article that immediately caught my attention: a call for writers from diverse geographies to reflect on the creative act of writing. I recognize this moment as the gestational beginning of my idea: to call upon directors from around the world to express in words what they consider essential when filming their cinematic universes.
Far from definitions, fixed formulas, and closed phrases, it should above all be an invitation to provoke a heartfelt reflection on the motivation and feelings that permeate each filmmaker when filming.
“Why do I film?” —in the first person. With this premise, in mid-February 2011, I began to put out an initial call for submissions. Along the way, and thanks to Colombian filmmaker Luis Ospina, it was revealed to me, that in 1987, the Parisian newspaper Libération had conducted a survey among hundreds of filmmakers from around the world asking: «Why do you film?» This marks a direct antecedent to the present publication, which, after a year of work, took shape and was first launched in January 2012, although it will surely continue to be constantly updated with new perspectives.
To see “Why do I film?”: Access the list of directors.
