Pitchbox Interview: Rodolf Giner tells us about “Paralelo — Black Soil”

Special Mention at Madrid TV Pitchbox 2017

We talk to Rudolf Giner, writer of the TV series project “Paralelo — Black Soil” a thriller set in the heart of early 20th century Barcelona, in the midst of WWI, when the Paralelo Avenue was a cultural center and social hot spot, full of theatres, cafés, and bars, our own Spanish West End.

Brief Synopsis:

In the midst of political and social chaos during WWI, Barcelona businessman Medir Fortuny sees a way to consolidating his political career. Under his flawless appearance, there’s an ambitious businessman, who won’t hesitate to use all the means at his disposal to satisfy his thirst for power and money. Fortuny is the owner of a Review theatre, there, all the important people meet, attracted by the prestige of its shows, but the theatre is only the cover for more lucrative business.

Nothing seems to interpose Fortuny’s road to success, until Aniol Ventura, a senior editor at the Catalan Mercurio newspaper, decides to start to investigate a series of deaths by overdose near Fortuny’s theatre.

FMH: Tell us a little bit about yourself, why did you decide to become a filmmaker? Where did you study? How did you start your career in film?

R.G: I’m not sure if I chose it or I somehow veered toward it. I’ve always been interested in everything related to film and TV. And screenwriting was the process that least investment or technology required! It’s something one can start on its own, with whatever means you have at home, waiting that the rest of factors needed are given in time, so that the script you are writing becomes a reality.

I studied journalism in Valencia, after that I did an MA and a Ph.D. in communication, in Barcelona. Before starting to write, I worked as a journalist in news agencies and in various newspapers. In 1999 the opportunity to make the jump into television came and I took it.

FMH: Do you have any other work in film, TV or advertisement? Can you show us/ tell us about your most noted work up until now?

R.G: In 20 years I’ve had time to do a lot of things. I’ve been omnivorous in that regard: I’ve done children’s TV programs, sketch shows, drama series, animation series, one or two feature films…I don’t know if I can say which is my most noted work. Now I’m developing a new tv series project, with three other screenwriters, a process I’m really enjoying.

FMH: Talk to us about “Paralelo — Black Soil” How did the story come about? What is it about?

R.G: On the one hand, the story comes from a very concrete place and in a very precise moment, where a series of elements gain a lot of dramatic potentials. That moment is the summer of 1917, when in just 15 days, the monarchy was about to fall, a revolutionary strike of soviet inclinations would burst, while, in the midst of a world war, the confronting parts are trying to gain power and resources that would’ve ensured them victory. This, is an ideal context develop a story like that in Barcelona, in the Paralelo Avenue, in this moment of full splendor. In the end, the story is one about collective hope and individual interests, about moral ambiguity.

FMH: Paralelo — Black Soil. talks about a lot of different subjects. From the world of variety theatre, to political corruption and the growing drug trafficking, in the Barcelona port. I understand that, in the end, you want to tell a story about what moves humans to act, why some are moved by power and become corrupt. What was the process of writing a project like this?

R.G: I guess that in these cases it’s always the same. There’s something that tells you that what’ you’ve just discovered, there’s a story, then comes a very long phase of documentation. You try to identify what would the most efficient narrative resources be to tell the story. Paralelo isn’t strictly a period, historical tv show, I wanted to extract the strongest elements, narratively speaking, from that research we did. From then onwards, I tried to define the structure, the main character in the center of it all, and then organize each subplot and character according to this main narrative line.

FMH: How long have you been working on this project?

R.G: The project is now on track for production, but I worked on it for five years.

FMH: At what stage are you with it at this moment? What do you need / are you looking for to further develop it?

R.G: As I said, it’s in hands of a production company, ready for production. Now we just need a TV broadcaster to get on board.

FMH: What are you seeking to explore in this project?

R.G: I imagine it would be a universe that allows me to set out questions on subject I am interested in and, I guess, other people might be interested in as well.

FMH: What do you think stands out most in the project?

R.G: I think it’s interesting trying to get close to the culture of masses, as a universe where we see different relationships unfolding amongst the characters of this story, a means through which we explore the themes of the show, the struggle between the different individual interests trying to impose over collective hope.

FMH: What made you apply to Madrid TV Pitchbox?

R.G: We must try to take advantage of all the resources that are at our disposal so that our work gets to the market.

QUICK QUESTIONNAIRE

Three favorite screenwriters:

• Aaron Sorkin
• William Goldman
• Rafael Cobos

Three favorite screenwriting books:

• Cuéntalo bien, de Ana Sanz Magallón
• The elements of Screenwriting, de Irving Blaker
• Cómo orquestar una comedia, de John Vorhaus

Three favorite directors:

• Eric Rohmer
• Alberto Rodríguez
• Stanley Kubrick

Three favorite films:

• The Searchers (John Ford, 1956)
• Zazie in the metro (Louis Malle, 1960)
• Princess Bride (Rob Reiner, 1987)