The four winners of the Spike of Honor of the Spanish Cinema Day discussed the digital platforms’ impact on the future of cinema

• Julio Medem, Javier Cámara, Gracia Querejeta and María Galiana participated in a forum moments before receiving the Film Festival’s highest recognition to their careers.
• Festival director Javier Angulo was in charge of presenting the forum in which the protagonists of the Spanish Cinema Day, awarded with this year’s Spike of Honor, had the chance to give their impressions moments before going on stage to enjoy the gala.

Julio Medem, Javier Cámara, Gracia Querejeta and María Galiana emphasized their ties with the festival or with the award and, immediately afterwards, they started an enriching debate regarding the state of cinema in relation to platforms. Gracia Querejeta assured that she fears for the independence of cinema because the industry depends more and more on televisions, which, in her opinion, must be guided by commercial criteria.

However, independence and auteur cinema are not necessarily at odds, according to Julio Medem: “It is a delicate issue, because on the one hand Gracia is right and, on the other, I have personally seen how after two long years losing my space as director, lately they are calling me to make auteur films precisely on platforms. I have been writing for series for two years and there is more and more consumption of audiovisual content. I do believe that platforms and auteur cinema can coexist”.

“I listen to you and I agree with both of you”, added Javier Cámara: “Power has passed onto the platforms and I’m seeing a lot of talent and a lot of personality in many series. It is true that they demand a type of context, style, tone … but talent stands out. There are many examples: Patria, Veneno, Antidisturbios… And I am very happy that they are such auteur series within the commercial scheme”.

Although, according to María Galiano, the excitement of watching a movie on the big screen is irreplaceable, Medem fears that there is no longer an audience that is abundant and plural enough for theatres; on the contrary, it’s increasingly scarce and homogeneous, while on platforms the demands are much more varied.

And unanimously regarding the coronavirus and attendance at theatres: “It is safer to go to the cinema than to the supermarket”.