Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘Manos Negras (Black Hands)’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?
Alberto Peláez Valtuille, is a film director and producer. He studied the Bachelor of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Valladolid and the Bachelor of Audiovisual Communication at the University of Salamanca. He also completed his Mass Media studies at the Jana Amose Komenskeho University in the city of Prague (Czech Republic). Since he was a child, he has been interested in fiction stories and documentary films thanks to the influence of his father Donato, who has always been a reference in all of his film projects. In 2010 he created the independent film production company Jabuba Films, which later in 2019 will be called The Second Films, his current Production Company together with his partner and editor Rubén Cuñarro. I have the production company The Second films since 2010, with that we also directed El Autobús (The bus) 2023 it is a documentary about 4 families who camperoze a school bus in the 90’s. Also we produced Meseta in 2019, and so many projects. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9458549/bio?item=mb1153744
Tell us about ‘Manos Negras (Black Hands)’. How do you describe it?
Manos negras is a fiction short movie, in other festivals their called it “Docudrama” . “Manos Negras” is an intimate story that talks about family ties, the loss of loved ones and characters who are not capable of living in the present, either because they long to return to the past, like Donato, or because they continually fantasize about the future. , like Peter. The short film was filmed In El Bierzo, Castilla y León, Spain. In the abandoned mining town of La Piela, belonging to the Corullón City Council. It has also been filmed in the surroundings of Ponferrada, Toral de Merayo and Camponaraya.
Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.
Akira Kurosawa is one of my favourites directors,”Dersu Uzala” is one of my bests the human being, the roots and the survival,also Jhon Huston with the man who want to be a king and Stanley Kubrick with “Barry Lyndon”, this kind of movies , one man standing, looking for something, discovering the path. In the other hand, also I love the cinema verite, the novelle vague, the power of the cinema to tell histories, without budget, with all the sense. Like Jean Luc Godard, Truffaut, Ken Loach, Cassavetes…
If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?
I have always made films according to my possibilities, I think that a big budget requires a lot of experience and I still don’t have it, it is something that is beyond my capabilities, for the moment. Please one day I will make “Barry Lyndon 2” haha
Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?
Preproduction and casting is one of the most important parts, talk with my scripwritter Ander Basterretxea and concern all the facilities for all the scenes is really important, know your actors/actress, see how far you can go with them, and also the crew. Work for example with Juanjo Martic the DOP or Bernar Amengual Sound Designer was really impressive, then when you are in the shooting with this hands just let them be… This is cinema.
What was the hardest part of making ‘Manos Negras (Black Hands)’.
I believe that Manos Negras is a miracle. It is a project filmed in an abandoned area, what is called “emptied Spain”, it is my hometown, an area that no longer exists for anyone, getting there with the cameras, with the equipment was really complicated. There are no rentals there, everything comes from Madrid and this place is around 600 km away.
If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?
Right now I would like to be able to start making a feature film. I have several ideas and I am working with my scriptwriter to give it shape. I hope to be able to raise the money and move the project forward.