Alberto Rodríguez: Those shots are actually animated aerial photographs taken by Héctor Garrido who works for the National Scientific Investigation Center. They are beautiful shots indeed.
What were you hoping to convey by opening the film with these images?
I was trying to explain spatially a place that is impossible to describe. Also, my intention was to draw the spectators psychologically and physically into this space, into the story.
The political context greatly enhances the serial killer storyline - was it difficult to combine these two elements, which each come with their own connotations?
No, it was not difficult at all. The story takes place in 1980 while Spain was undergoing its transition from Franco's 40-year dictatorship to democracy. Surprisingly, the political situation right now is similar in that the right and the left are further from each other than ever and we have a polarized country.
The setting of the film is palpable - was it difficult to find appropriate locations to shoot it?
The place is called the marshlands of the Guadalquivir river and it's a huge area divided by the river. Locations were very difficult to find and the shooting was also extremely demanding - very physical for each and every one of the members of the crew. The rice crop forced us to start filming early. The weather showed all its extremes with maximum temperatures of 42ºC. in late summer and lows of -2ºC. towards the end of November. Every step we took, because of the vastness of the territory involved, became a logistical nightmare!
What earlier films inspired you in the making of Marshland?
For some months during 2009, writer Rafael Cobos and I toyed with the possibility of writing a "noir" story, having as inspiration Chilean novelist Bolaño's 2666 and films such as Vajda's The Bait (aka It Happened In Broad Daylight), and others like Mystery of Murders, Chinatown and Bad Day at Black Rock. So that's how it all came into being although I´m sure that other films and directors were also an inspiration since I really like noir.
There have been a million films about mismatched cops - how did you approach this cliché to make it feel as fresh as it does in your movie?
In Marshland, the two cops represent the two Spains I was talking about earlier. Marshland is fiction from beginning to end. But the idea was to create the events in the film based on the day-to-day routine of cops nearly forty years ago. And thanks to the advice of two policemen still in service, we managed lots of research on a first hand basis. That's how we came to know that police methods have changed enormously with the years; before, investigations were far less scientific, there were far less available means, in some cases, no means at all (several policemen told us - after reading the script - that it was strange that each cop would have his own room in a motel, that it was considered a waste of resources...)
A scene from the movie Marshland.
In the end, we had a strong plot that carried the story with strength and we needed to integrate the characters more, so we decided to draw from real events which took place in those years. In the case of Pedro's character, we used the real story of a policeman who was admonished and retired from his post just because he expressed his repulsion towards some of the military who were in favor of an overthrow of the government. We must not forget the story takes place in 1980.
Is it your intention for the audience to draw their own conclusions about Juan's true nature?
Yes. It was our intention for viewers to have questions in their minds after the film is over. The film starts in chaos and ends in chaos. Where order prevails there are no questions.
This film won many awards in Spain - what does that mean to you as a filmmaker?
Awards are great because it gives the film more visibility which translates into larger audiences and increases its international potential. Movies are made to be seen and awards contribute to a better and more diverse distribution. Marshland has found distribution in most of the world and it is a great honor to see my film released in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
A scene from True Detective starring Woody Harrelson and Mathew McConaughey.
Marshland has drawn many comparisons to True Detective - have you seen that show? What do you make of the comparisons?
My inspiration came, as I said earlier, from other authors and films. I am a big fan of genre and I'm sure that I have been unconsciously influenced by many other movies and directors. However, I am aware of the fact that many viewers and journalists have mentioned that "Marshland" reminds them of True Detective. I had never heard of the TV series and while editing the movie, Raul Arevalo (the actor playing Pedro) sent me a phone message with the teaser/trailer for the series and said: "Alberto, someone has copied your idea and decided to make a TV series." This easter I had some time and watched True Detective. I really enjoyed it.
