“Daydreaming So Vividly About Our Spanish Holidays”, Interview with director Christian Avilés

July 13, 2023

Christian Avilés, director of Daydreaming So Vividly About Our Spanish Holidays: "tackling the "balconing" phenomenon as a way to talk about teenage depression"

"Daydreaming So Vividly About Our Spanish Holidays", Interview with director Christian Avilés Chiara Nicoletti

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Daydreaming So Vividly About Our Spanish Holidays is Christian Avilés’ first film as director after his graduation and it is the film he presented in the section EFP FUTURE FRAMES –Generation NEXT of European Cinema at the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

In this interview, Avilés explains how the film tackles the “balconing” phenomenon frequently involving adolescents during holidays only as an excuse or an instrument to really talk about teenage depression. Through a voice over and a dreamlike cinematic experience, we realize how the protagonist is dealing with overwhelming thoughts during his coming of age years.

Daydreaming So Vividly About Our Spanish Holidays: The sun is a source of life, warmth, and health. But British teenagers live in a country where they don’t get enough sunlight. They suffer mentally and physically and compensate for the lack of sunshine by taking vitamin D supplements. They dream of escaping to the Balearic Islands – Mallorca in the case of the protagonist – to soak up as many rays as possible in the short time they have, so they can enjoy their effects even under the gloomy British skies. A surrealistically poetic film about warmth and dreams, about the stunned reactions of locals who take the sun for granted, and about the grim phenomenon of “balconing,” which has cost some tourists their lives, even though they only came to enjoy the sunshine.

Plot

The sun is a source of life, warmth, and health. But British teenagers live in a country where they don’t get enough sunlight. They suffer mentally and physically and compensate for the lack of sunshine by taking vitamin D supplements. They dream of escaping to the Balearic Islands – Mallorca in the case of the protagonist – to soak up as many rays as possible in the short time they have, so they can enjoy their effects even under the gloomy British skies. A surrealistically poetic film about warmth and dreams, about the stunned reactions of locals who take the sun for granted, and about the grim phenomenon of “balconing,” which has cost some tourists their lives, even though they only came to enjoy the sunshine.

Written by: Chiara Nicoletti

Guest

Christian Avilés