The professor of the area of Audiovisual Communication of the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic), Ignacio Gutiérrez-Solana, has recently presented his latest production, entitled “No hay fantasmas” (There are no ghosts). It is a short film that explores the grieving process from different perspectives, using lights, looks, and sounds to weave disturbing atmospheres.
The renovated facilities of Cine Yelmo, located in Peñacastillo, hosted the presentation of the most recent work directed by Professor Gutiérrez-Solana. “It is the first chain that bets on local creators. A first session that opens new paths and boosts the sector and its possibilities,” said the professor during the presentation, also covered by El Diario Montañés.
Among the audience attending the premiere was a large political representation of the Santander City Council, headed by Noemí Méndez, Councillor for Culture; Daniel Portilla, Councillor for Personnel; and Yolanda Egoscozábal, Director General of Cultura del Consistorio (Culture of the City Council). Also present were the director of the Filmoteca de Cantabria (Film Library of Cantabria), Christian Franco; the director of the Cantabria Film Commission, Víctor Lamadrid; and the director of Burbuja Films, Marta Solano, among others.
Solana warmly thanked Yelmo for his initiative. “It is very important, not only for me but for the whole sector because it allows us to start creating links for the future in this region, where there are great projects on the way.” The director personally took on the challenge of carrying out film productions in this region. Its dedication ranges from attracting film projects to contributing, as far as possible, to establish the ideal conditions for more creators to find in these lands a favorable space to make their films.
This most recent project, he noted, “has reached distances never before explored.” It has been selected in more than 70 festivals around the world, six of which are considered as qualifiers for the Goya awards, and another five for the Oscars, the latter being particularly hotly contested, as Gutiérrez-Solana admitted. In addition, the work will compete for the Meliés D’Argent at the prestigious Sitges Festival, recognized as the pinnacle of the horror genre at a national level.
Synopsis
Andrea is a young woman with a particular occupation. When someone senses certain paranormal phenomena in her house, only she can give an explanation. But Andrea always insists on every visit: There are no ghosts. They are the echoes of someone who was once among us.
The career of Ignacio Gutiérrez-Solana
Nacho Solana, who teaches Film Direction at UNEATLANTICO, is a Cantabrian director with extensive experience in advertising and short films. He has directed eight to date, which have been screened in over 500 festivals in more than 25 countries on all continents, which speaks to the universality of the stories he creates. Several of these festivals are Oscar and Goya award selectors, having been nominated for the Goya awards with his work Namnala, starring Álex Angulo. He has worked as a filmmaker in advertising (Acciona, Banco Santander, Whiskey Dewars, TVE, Unipublic, La Vuelta, Amazon Studios), music videos (Diego Martín, Maldita Nerea), making of Las Furias de Miguel del Arco (The Furies by Miguel del Arco), or documentary series Hicimos la tierra redonda (We made the earth round) for History Channel.