If in the shorts they had made a reference artist appeared in their titles (Bunbury, Otxoa and Juan Diego Botto), this fetish formula could not be missing in its feature film premiere. Teresa Bellón and César F. Calvillo are the creators and directors of ‘Buscando a Coque’, presented today in the FICAL First Feature competition. A very funny comedy, which starts from the fact that Teresa (actress Alexandra Jiménez) has slept with César’s idol (Higo Silva) and from there takes a crazy trip to find the singer Coque Malla, who plays itself. Behind this argument, there is a reflection, in a light-hearted tone, of the relationship and how to overcome complicated situations.
The directors, Teresa Bellón and César F. Calvillo, presented their debut feature today, starring Hugo Silva and Alexandra Jiménez, and confess that “Coque Malla liked the script from the first moment”
Teresa Bellón and César F. Calvillo have been supported by the deputy of Culture, Cinema and Identity of Almería, Almudena Morales, who has focused on “the background of the comedy, which is an invitation to dialogue with your partner, which helps reinforce it ”, and the director of FICAL, Enrique Iznaola, who highlighted that “we always like to include some comedy in the festival and this one works very well, and we are happy that it is part of the contest.”
The directors acknowledge that “it is a pride that Coque composed a specific theme for the film”
Teresa Bellón and César Calvillo are also a couple in real life. César states that “when writing the film, you strip yourself emotionally, you share intimacies that you would not tell anyone, and there must be harmony between the two. We had to talk a lot as a couple and we came out stronger.” Delving into the story itself, César indicates that “it is a very local adventure, but we wanted an aspect of the couple to be reformulated; We wanted Hugo Silva not to behave like a scorned man in his character, and for Alexandra not to be seen as the bad guy, for the public to be understanding of her. The truth is that both actors have made it very easy and it has been wonderful to film with them.”
Coke Malla is not just part of the title. The singer, with a past as an actor, is also part of the love triangle and plays a leading role in the script, in addition to composing a specific theme for the debut film. Teresa states that “we are very lovers of romantic comedy, we wrote the script and the time came to knock on Coque’s door. A week later we met with him, and the truth is that he really liked the script, it was clear that he had been an actor. He has a very fine sense of humor. The process of composing a specific song for the film was very nice.”
César confesses that, if he had not accepted Coque Malla, plan B was to invent the character of a rock star, with the risk of losing strength. “We initially proposed that it could be a woman, but we wanted her to be the one who cheated on him. And that it was generational. And Coke Malla was perfect.”
The film tells the story of César and Teresa, a happy couple, until she sleeps with Coque Malla, César’s great idol since he was little. Teresa confesses it to César, repentant, but he doesn’t know if he can forgive her… She needs to talk to Coque. A shame that the singer no longer lives in Madrid. So the couple travels to Los Angeles in search of the myth, while they rethink fifteen years of their relationship and even who they are.
Their references are Azcona and Berlanga and they assure that they no longer expect to use the name of a popular artist in their next audiovisual projects. Because the experience in directing has filled them with joy, even though they launched the project two months before the pandemic. “We both worked in an office and decided to fulfill our dream in January 2020 and then the Covid pandemic hit, but we kept going and we are very satisfied with the result and the public’s response. And we hope to continue with new projects.”
A romantic comedy, fun, witty and full of talent, which was screened to the public this afternoon, at 5:30 p.m., at the Teatro Cervantes.
All the information on FICAL 2024 can be consulted on the website/app yosoyfical.es and on the website www.festivaldealmeria.com.
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What motivated Teresa Bellón and César F. Calvillo to incorporate humor and music into ‘Buscando a Coque’?
Great! Let’s get started. We have two guests for this interview, Teresa Bellón and César F. Calvillo, the creators and directors of the new feature film ‘Buscando a Coque’. Teresa, César, it’s great to have you here today. Can you tell us a little about your background and what inspired you to create ‘Buscando a Coque’?
César: Thank you very much for inviting us. The truth is that both of us have worked in the audiovisual world for many years, but this is our first feature film, and it was born from a story that affected us personally. It’s about a couple who face a difficult situation, and we wanted to tell it in a fun and light-hearted way. The idea of including Coque Malla in the plot came naturally, as he’s a very important figure in Spanish music and culture.
Teresa: Yes, we’re also a couple in real life, and we think that brought a lot of authenticity to the story. We wanted to explore the dynamics of a relationship and its ups and downs, and using humor and music was a great way to do that. We felt very passionate about creating a film that would make people laugh and think at the same time.
Excellent. So, Coque Malla not only appears in the title but also plays a significant role in the film. Can you tell us how he became involved in the project and what his contribution was like?
Teresa: Coque is not only part of the title, but he’s also part of the story, which is very meaningful for us. When we started writing the script, we thought of him as the perfect person for the role of the rock star who becomes involved in their lives. We were very lucky that he liked the script and agreed to be part of it. He even composed a specific theme song for the movie, which was incredible. He’s a very talented and kind person.
César: Yes, we initially considered using a fictional character, but we thought Coque’s involvement would make it more real and relatable. It was risky, but we felt it would add a lot to the film. And of course, we needed someone with his talent and reputation. As for his contribution, it was beyond our expectations.
