‘Grand Tour’ director Miguel Gomes says film is dialogue between reality, fiction

Portuguese film director Miguel Gomes said Friday the allure of filmmaking lies in its ability to explore reality and fantasy simultaneously, blending the two seamlessly.

“I’ve long been obsessed with creating a dialogue between reality and fiction, as they are often intertwined,” Gomes said during a press conference at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), where his film “Grand Tour” was selected for the Gala Presentation.

“Cinema is versatile in this sense. It requires energy, a certain spark, electricity if you will, but it’s also guided by patterns and a balance of contrasts, like positive and negative charges.”

“To truly create, we need the tension, the electricity, between two opposing forces. That’s what sparks life in cinema, and it’s what can engage the viewer,” he said.

Portuguese film director Miguel Gomes poses for photos after a press conference at the Busan International Film Festival in the southeastern city of Busan on Oct. 4, 2024. (Yonhap)

Portuguese film director Miguel Gomes
poses for photos after a press conference at the Busan International Film Festival in the southeastern city of Busan on Oct. 4, 2024. (Yonhap)

Gomes has long worked with this theme, exploring the endless possibilities of cinema. His latest film, “Grand Tour,” won him the Best Director Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Set in 1917 Rangoon, “Grand Tour” is a historical drama that follows a woman named Molly, determined to track down her fiance, Edward, a civil servant for the British Empire who abandons her on their wedding day and flees.

“She went after him, and he kept running away. It became a game of cat and mouse,” he explained, noting that the film’s starting point was a lighthearted joke about “men being cowards and women being stubborn.”

“I found the joke funny, and I was about to get married at that time,” he added, reflecting on the inspiration behind the film’s production.

A still from “Grand Tour” by Portuguese film director Miguel Gomes is shown in this photo provided by the Busan Int
ernational Film Festival. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

A still from “Grand Tour” by Portuguese film director Miguel Gomes is shown in this photo provided by the Busan International Film Festival. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The film was shot across various locations in Asia, including Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand.

“It is about travel through space, moving from one country to another, from region to region. But it is also a journey through time, constantly shifting between different moments in time,” he said. “We also travel through languages, which I found to be very interesting.”

Gomes is currently being honored with his first-ever retrospective in Asia, part of BIFF’s Special Program in Focus, which showcases all eight of his feature films, including the “Arabian Nights” trilogy (2015).

“I was quite impressed with the scale of the festival and its interesting programs. It is an honor to have my work screened here,” he said, adding he appreciated BIFF’s focus on film as its central theme.

Born in 1
972 in Portugal, Gomes worked as a film critic after graduating from the Lisbon Theater and Film School. In 2004, he made his feature film debut with” The Face You Deserve.” His second feature, “Our Beloved Month of August” (2008), was invited to the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.

Source: Yonhap News Agency