Ca’ Foscari Short Film Festival
Homepage Short

The meeting with Pablo Berger

Venice, March 20th, 2025. Yesterday, Pablo Berger took center stage at the first masterclass of the fifteenth edition of the Ca’ Foscari Short Film Festival. Interviewed by John Bleasdale, a member of the festival’s scientific committee, Berger captivated the audience with his warmth and engaging spirit. A filmmaker who refuses to follow a single path, Berger approaches each project as an exploration, a leap into the unknown without a safety net. From his early training in New York to the success of his Oscar-nominated animated feature Robot Dreams, Berger’s career has been defined by a relentless search for new forms of expression. Although he returned to the Triveneto region ten years after presenting Blancanieves at the Giornate del Cinema Muto in Pordenone, this was his first appearance in Venice. During the session, he reflected on his artistic journey, sharing personal anecdotes, key influences, and his creative philosophy.

Like many accomplished filmmakers, Berger began with short films, which he describes as “the perfect trial” to experiment and take risks. “With short films, you can experiment, create something new, even something risky. That’s why I call it my punk period,” he explained. “When I made my first short film, I knew nothing about cinema… Every film I’ve made since has followed that punk attitude.” His debut short, Mamá (1988), also became his first international success, helping him secure a scholarship to New York University, where he further refined his style. At NYU, Berger immersed himself in New York’s independent film scene of the 1990s, meeting directors such as Abel Ferrara and the Coen brothers. “Before moving there, my short films were about films. In New York, I learned how to become an adult… I stayed long enough to start telling stories about other things.” After NYU, he transitioned to feature filmmaking, launching his career with Torremolinos 73 (2003), a dramedy set in Francoist Spain. The film, starring a young Mads Mikkelsen, follows a financially struggling couple who are offered the chance to make an erotic film for the Scandinavian market. Blending humor and drama, the film uniquely explores cinema as a tool for personal and social liberation.

The defining moment in Berger's career came with Blancanieves (2012), a daring, silent, black-and-white adaptation of the tale of Snow White, set in twentieth-century Spain. The film achieved global acclaim, winning ten Goya awards and becoming Spain's official submission for the Oscars. However, the journey to completing the film was arduous. "I thought it would be quick, but it took eight years, and I lost all my hair in the process," Berger joked. After his original producer withdrew, Berger persisted until a new partner finally brought the project to life: "He told me: 'This is the best script I have ever read. I don't know how I will finance it, but we will do it.'" Ultimately, the film left a lasting mark on European cinema and inspired a Chinese remake.

For his latest project, Robot Dreams, Berger ventured into new territory: animation. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, the film is a poignant exploration of friendship and loneliness. "I never imagined I would make an animated film," he admitted, "but the novel's ending moved me so much that I decided to do it." The production spanned five years, a process Berger described as meticulous and collaborative, emphasizing how animation, unlike live-action movies, allows for deeper reflection on every detail. "Every frame is a director's dream," he said, noting the importance of working closely with animators to realize each character within that vision fully.

Ultimately, Berger's deep love of cinema is the thread that runs through all his work. "I am a cinephile before I am a filmmaker", he said. His films frequently pay tribute to his mentors, drawing inspiration from figures like Bergman and Spielberg, whom he even had a memorable encounter with at the Oscars, calling it one of the most thrilling moments of his life. As for the future, Berger is in no rush to commit to his next project. "Every movie could be the last one, so I need to be sure it's worth dedicating years of my life to," he reflected.

One thing is certain: whatever comes next will be well worth the wait.
 

Artistic and Operative Direction
Maria Roberta Novielli
Dorsoduro 3484/D – 30123 Venezia
Telephone: 041 234 6244 | Email: cafoscarishort@unive.it

Media Relations
Studio Morabito
Telefono: 0657300825 | Email: info@mimmomorabito.it
in collaboration with: Eugenio De Angelis
and Press Relations Group CA' FOSCARI SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 15
Telefono: 041 234 6244 | Email: cafoscarishort@unive.it

Communications and Institutional Promotion Office
Media Relations Branch
Dorsoduro 3246 - 30123 Venezia
Federica Ferrarin: Tel 041 2348118
Enrico Costa: Tel. 041 2348004
Paola Vescovi: Tel. 041 2348005
Email: comunica@unive.it