Forever Present
Vanesa Fernández Guerra. Director of ZINEBI.
In her magnificent documentary Auf der Suche nach Ingmar Bergman (Searching for Ingmar Bergman), Margarethe von Trotta reminds us of some words spoken by the Swedish maestro that should encourage us to reflect on the present and the future of the cinema, and also on festivals: “Film is a channeler. Film is a distributor of dreamers and of dreams. And it brings to life people’s dreams, wishes and most secret longings. Movies will always exist. There is no better medium.”
The tragic pandemic has meant that this year, we have had to think and rethink the various scenarios we were envisaging for forthcoming years and our role as a cultural agent. One of our fundamental obligations continues to be that of gaining access to the largest possible number of films that are produced throughout the world (and that do not enjoy the universal distribution guaranteed by large multinational companies), watching them and, after contextualising them by means of a rigorous selection process, trying to offer our public the ones we feel to be most interesting, whether in terms of their content or their form or because of their proximity, because we must continue to be catalysers and accomplices of the films that are closest to home.
We are convinced that a medium-sized festival such as ZINEBI, which specialises in short films and documentaries, should persevere in discovering and informing our public about films they would not easily have access to for ‘conventional’ reasons. By doing this, we also invite viewers and spectators to reflect on the form and the content proposed in these works, as well as on the reasons that lead to certain films only being able to be shown thanks to festivals.
In this edition, we are delighted to count on two major filmmakers who will receive their Mikeldi of Honour and a well-deserved homage at the festival: Margarethe von Trotta and Imanol Uribe. In this highly open and varied edition, you will be able to enjoy 123 films, be surprised by all the international film proposals, visit the exhibition 40 years of La fuga de Segovia. You will also be able to enjoy the presence of notable filmmakers in Bilbao, attend the presentation of the book by Enrique Urbizu and Carlos Alberto Gómez, reflect on the role of women in the film industry through various proposals, and go to the musical performance of the Bilbao group Vulk, as well as watch children’s and young people’s sessions. We also hope that the professionals who come to Bilbao will be able to enjoy and make the most of our encounters with the industry, at which they will meet international stakeholders to create future collaborations and synergies.
In my humble opinion, the ZINEBI programme is its greatest declaration of intentions, setting us apart from other competitions, thanks to which it achieves its prestige and reputation. Finally, may we never forget the responsibility that we all have to advance in effective equality between men and women.
