21 Jan The filmmaker and writer David Trueba kicks off The Embassy Talks
Last Tuesday, January 14, The Embassy & Chef ‘s Table kicked off a round of talks to be held in Andorra that will bring some of the most relevant figures of Spanish culture to the Principality to talk about their lives and work and get to know them in depth. The Embassy Talks aim to be a driving force and a reference point for the Andorran cultural scene, making this event a must for lovers of literature, film and music.
For this reason, the guests will always be first class figures, chosen for their relevance, so that those attending these talks can enjoy a unique experience.
Thus, the character who kicked off this date with culture was David Trueba. Trueba is a tireless agitator of the national cultural scene, whether as a writer with works such as Cuatro amigos, Saber perder, Abierto toda la noche or Tierra de campos and awards such as the Nacional de la Crítica. Or as a filmmaker, with six Goya awards behind him, with films such as Soldados de Salamina, Madrid 1987, Vivir se fácil cono los ojos cerrados or the documentary Si me borrara lo viento lo que yo canto. He also writes weekly for the newspaper El País and El Periódico de Cataluña.
Trueba is one of these names that appears constantly when talking about excellence in the field of culture. During his talk to The Embassy, David Trueba talked about his career, his concerns and his vision of a complex reality, full of edges.
With it begins what we hope will be an inescapable engagement with the Andorran cultural universe and an attractive call to get to know closely some of the cultural protagonists indispensable for understanding Spain over the last 40 years.
David Trueba’s professional career
David Trueba (Madrid, 1969) is one of the most attractive protagonists of Spanish culture. Film director, scriptwriter, novelist, journalist, songwriter. David Trueba’s curiosity seems to have no limits.
David was born in Madrid in 1969. He studies journalism and soon starts working in press, radio and television. As a screenwriter, he made his debut with the film Amo tú pierna rica (1992), by Emilio Martínez-Lázaro. After studying at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, he continued his career in Spain with the script of Los peores años de nuestra vida, again under the direction of Martínez-Lázaro, one of the great successes of 1994. At that time he also worked in television where he co-directed the show The Worst Show of the Week with El Grande Wyoming (1993-94). His successes as a screenwriter continue with films such as Two Much (1995), Perdita Durango (1997), La niña de tose ojos (1998), Vengo (2000) or the documentary by Carles Bosch Balseros (2002), of which he was also co-producer and which was nominated for an Oscar.
His first film as a director is La buena vida (1996). In 2000 he directed Obra Maestra and in 2003, Soldados de Salamina, presented in the section Una cierta mirada at the Cannes Film Festival. His next film as a director, Bienvenido a casa (2006), received the award for Best Director at the Malaga Film Festival. In 2010 he created and directed the TV series for Canal+ ¿Qué fue by Jorge Sanz, which will be followed by Movistar+ in 2015 and a new episode in 2017. In 2011, he returns to film with Madrid 1987, which goes to the Sundance Festival. In 2013 she presents Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados, which receives 6 Goya Awards and is the big winner of that year’s edition.
The film was selected to represent Spain at the Oscars. In 2018 it premieres Case 40, a film that was presented at the Malaga Film Festival where it wins the Special Jury Prize, nominated for Best Comedy at the Feroz 2019 awards. On this side of the world, his last feature film until now, will be released in 2020.
He also produces documentaries. He co-directs with Luis Alegre the film-conversation about Fernando Fernán-Gómez, La silla de Fernando. Also Lo cuadro (2013), a documentary about the creative process of painter Josep Santilari; the Monologues of Montaigne by Ramon Fontserè (2015), in which the actor who plays some of the philosopher’s essays directs; the documentary Salir de casa (2016), a portrait of singer Francisco Nixon and Si me borrara lo viento lo que yo canto (2019), about the figure of Chicho Sánchez Ferlosio and the process of creating the record ‘Songs of the Spanish Resistance’.
As a writer, he has published five novels that have been translated into more than fifteen languages: Abierto toda la noche, Cuatro Amigos, Saber Perder (National Critics’ Prize for the best novel, finalist of the prestigious Médicis Prize in the French translation and “Novel of the year” by El Cultural del Mundo), Blitz and Tierra de campos (Los Libreros Recomiendan Prize, Madrid Critics’ Prize for the novel, Casino de Santiago European Novel Prize). In 2019, he published El río baja sucio, a novel for young people.
He writes weekly in El País and the newspaper El Periódico de Cataluña.
ORGANIZERS:
Chef’s Table
Chef ́s Table Andorra is a unique gourmet space led and designed by the chefs Bernard Bach, Òscar Manresa and Romain Fornell, whose experience, passion and enthusiasm are guaranteed by a long professional career on both sides of the Pyrenees. Chef’s Table, located at The Embassy, is a place where the senses of Andorran, French and Spanish cuisine are preserved to create a world of sensations. Dishes and tapas that arise from the history and essence of the wonderful natural environment of Andorra.
The Embassy
The Embassy is a concept store designed to discover and enjoy an unforgettable shopping experience in a refined environment where every detail is taken care of. Located in the heart of the commercial centre of Andorra’s capital, from its opening in 2019, The Embassy offers the ideal space to disconnect or connect, as well as enjoy workshops, experiences and events.