Victor Erice's Return

Cannes Controversy 

Victor Erice, the Spanish director and writer, returned to cinema 30 years after the premiere of his last feature film with "Cerrar los ojos" (Close Your Eyes) at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, but it seems that this comeback was not particularly pleasant for him. The renowned Spanish director, now 83 years old, published an open letter expressing his frustration with Cannes.

Erice, who did not personally attend the festival, wrote in the letter that his decision to refrain from participating was due to the lack of "dialogue and consultation" and the secretive behavior during the selection process, which resulted in his film being kept in limbo and ultimately not screened in the competition section of Cannes. The Cannes Festival, in a short statement, denied any inappropriate behavior and stated that they had informed Erice about the screening of his film outside the competition section; however, they expressed pride in showcasing his film during this edition of the festival.

Victor Erice returned to cinema after 30 years with the feature film "Cerrar los ojos" to demonstrate that he still maintains his classic signature style of calm and penetrating storytelling. However, his distance from filmmaking and the rush to submit the film to Cannes may have resulted in less attention than expected for the film.

Erice, known for creating "The Spirit of the Beehive," a film that can be considered one of the most enduring classics of world cinema, had withdrawn from the spotlight after the premiere of his last film, "The Dream of Light," which had also won the Jury Prize at Cannes. Until this year, his return to cinema through the red carpet of one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world made headlines.

"Cerrar los ojos" tells the story of a filmmaker named Miguel Garay (played by Manolo Solo) who, like Erice himself, has withdrawn from filmmaking and is engaged in fishing in a remote village. His withdrawal from cinema was actually due to the disappearance of an actress during filming and her subsequent return, a subject that Miguel could not get over. Therefore, through a television program that reminds him of this disappearance, he embarks on a quest to find this actress and old friend.

The film can be seen more as a perplexing drama whose narrative, spanning over three hours in the style of classic slow-burning films, tires the viewer to the point where cinema seats were empty one after another during the first screening and throughout the film's screening. Nevertheless, one should not forget that Erice, who was himself a jury member at Cannes in 2010, knows his patient cinema audience well and probably made this film to reconnect with them rather than with an audience who, without knowing about his 30-year absence from cinema, suddenly encounters a slow-paced film with a story devoid of peaks and valleys. Perhaps Erice's storytelling in this film is lower than expected, but this legend of Spanish filmmaking can still showcase the power of technique in cinema for emerging directors even after 30 years.

Erice once again utilized cinema within cinema. Just as in "The Spirit of the Beehive," where the old cinema of the town influenced the little girl by screening Frankenstein, in "Cerrar los ojos," Miguel tries to evoke forgotten memories by watching an old film in an old, dusty cinema.

Victor Erice knows that he has been able to keep "The Spirit of the Beehive" alive with the curious and bright-eyed girl, Ana, despite a 30-year hiatus from cinema. For this reason, with Ana Torrent reprising her role as a girl with the same curious eyes, this time in search of her father, he pays tribute to his unforgettable film.

"Cerrar los ojos" was supposed to be screened in the competition section of Cannes, but apparently due to delays in preparation and sending the film, it was shown on the sidelines of the Cannes festival.

However, Erice stated in his letter that the film was sent to Cannes with final color and sound grading, and the claim that the committee was unable to view it is not valid.

Erice, now 83 years old, did not attend the screening of "Cerrar los ojos" due to his dissatisfaction with Cannes' decision, but his loyal fans were present in the cinema to applaud the cast and crew for more than 10 minutes after the film ended.

Maryam TAHMASEBI