Raúl Cerezo and Fernando González Gómez step into feature filmmaking with The Passenger
- Starring in this horror film, which is entirely set inside a minivan, are Cristina Alcázar, Ramiro Blas, Beatriz Olivares, Yao Yao and Cecilia Suárez
Raúl Cerezo, a highly regarded figure in the world of Spanish fantastical short films (Años Cero), has co-directed his feature debut, The Passenger [+see also:
trailer
interview: Raúl Cerezo and Fernando Go…
film profile], together with Fernando González Gómez (Zombie World 2). The colourful array of passengers who will be travelling in the shared minivan in which the film unfolds comprises Ramiro Blas ([REC] 4: Apocalypse [+see also:
film review
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interview: Jaume Balagueró
film profile]), Cecilia Suárez (The House of Flowers), Beatriz Olivares (Los héroes del mal [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), Cristina Alcázar (Cuéntame cómo pasó) and Yao Yao (Xiao Xian). The film’s crew is made up of renowned professionals, such as Inside Fx (whom we have to thank for the make-up effects in the REC saga), User T38 (Verónica [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Paco Plaza
film profile]) and Alucine (the HBO series 30 Coins, helmed by Álex de la Iglesia). The film promises to be a personal, entertaining and surprising work, which switches from comedy to horror at the drop of a hat.
In the words of González Gómez, the movie is about “a terrifying journey at breakneck speed, with which we are seeking to create an immersive experience for the viewer, who will become just another occupant of our Ebro minivan”. According to his colleague Cerezo, “It’s as if you started off in a Luis García Berlanga film, jumped into a John Carpenter one and ended up in another one by David Cronenberg, if you imagine that the latter two auteurs were from Cuenca and Albacete, respectively. Making your debut like this is a tremendous gift, and being able to do so with so much freedom is inconceivable,” he sums up.
The feature was shot in Navarre over the course of five weeks (from 24 August-30 September), and the finishing touches are now being put to its post-production. The Passenger is a distressing horror flick that relies chiefly on its characters and unfolds amidst a stifling atmosphere. It tells the story of a minivan shared by various passengers, which runs over a rambler who is hiking at night on a B road; after bringing her on board the vehicle to take her to the nearest hospital, it doesn’t take long for the occupants to realise that they only need obey one clear rule: don’t sit next to her.
The screenplay was penned by Luis Sánchez-Polack, based on a previous script by Asier Guerricaechevarría (70 Big Ones [+see also:
film review
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interview: Koldo Serra
film profile]) and Javier Echániz (When You No Longer Love Me [+see also:
trailer
film profile]). The original storyline is by co-director Raúl Cerezo himself. La Dalia Films is thus embarking on a new fiction feature after its two most recent productions: Vasy’s Odyssey and Estándar [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which has just been released in theatres. In addition, the firm is also in the middle of post-production with AMA [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the feature debut by young filmmaker Júlia de Paz, partially shot just after the lockdown prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Passenger is being produced by Persons Films, La Dalia Films, SG Producciones and Eye Slice Pictures. It will be released at some point in 2021.
(Translated from Spanish)
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