“Another Man”, interview with director David Moragas

Presented in the All the Lovers section of the Lovers Film Festival, “Another Man” marks a significant step in the artistic trajectory of David Moragas. The film centres on Marc and Eudald, a couple in their thirties whose long-term relationship appears stable yet increasingly hollow. Their life in Barcelona unfolds within a carefully constructed routine, one that begins to fracture with the arrival of a new neighbour, Carlos.

Moragas introduces the film as a story born out of fascination with observation. “I love spying on others,” he admits, framing voyeurism not as a mere act of curiosity but as a mechanism for self-interrogation. This impulse becomes the narrative engine of “Another Man”, in which looking outward serves to avoid confronting inner conflicts.

The Complexity of Marc

At the centre of the film lies Marc, an elusive and emotionally layered protagonist. David Moragas constructs him as a man shaped by repression, someone who appears composed and polite while harbouring internal tension. “From the outside, he looks kind… but inside there is a stream of violence,” the director explains.

This duality is embodied by the lead actor Lluís Marqués, a close collaborator of Moragas, whose ability to subtly convey discomfort and anger informed the character’s development. Marc’s journey is not defined by a single crisis but by a slow realisation of the consequences of emotional suppression, both for himself and those around him.

A Generational Existential Crisis

Rather than framing the narrative strictly as a love story, David Moragas situates the film within a broader existential and generational context. “We have a lot of freedom to choose, but that doesn’t mean we are free,” he reflects, pointing to the paradox of contemporary life.

The director highlights how personal choices are shaped by both internal judgment and external pressures, including political shifts such as the rise of conservative ideologies. This tension transforms “Another Man” into a portrait of a generation navigating the illusion of autonomy even as it confronts deep uncertainty about identity and purpose.

Desire as Distance

Carlos, the enigmatic neighbour, functions less as a traditional character and more as a symbolic projection. David Moragas deliberately avoids fully materialising him, maintaining a sense of distance that preserves the fluid nature of desire. “When you reach the object of desire, desire destroys itself,” he notes.

By keeping Carlos partially obscured, often seen through windows or across spaces, the film emphasises desire as a dynamic force rather than a consumable object. This approach prevents the narrative from reducing attraction to physical impulse, instead suggesting that desire may represent the possibility of an alternative life, another version of oneself.

Grief and Transformation

Grief plays a crucial role in Marc’s psychological state. While the recent death of his mother is an explicit element, David Moragas introduces a more subtle layer: the mourning of a former self. The protagonist is forced to abandon an identity shaped by familial expectations, confronting the uncertainty of who he might become.

This transition aligns with the film’s exploration of adulthood. Moragas describes it as a shift between being a child and assuming a more responsible role, independent of parenthood. The pressures of building a future, making long-term decisions, and redefining relationships contribute to the film’s underlying tension.

Plot