Press Conference with Alfonso Cuarón, director of Gravity and winner of the Outstanding British Film and Best Director categories at the EE Britsh Academy Film Awards in 2014.
Q. And now please welcome the winner of two BAFTAs tonight, the BAFTA for best director and the BAFTA for outstanding British film, both of course for Gravity. Alfonso Cuarón.
Congratulations.
ALFONSO CUARÓN: Thank you. Thank you so much.
Q. You're wielding them both like a gun slinger. I like that.
A. What about that, huh?
Q. Congratulations. How does it feel to win two BAFTAs? Gravity has had a fantastic night.
A. I am very happy for all the recognition that all these great British artists had in this award ceremony. And you know, what is really remarkable is that a lot of them, it's the first time that they have a credit in that position, you know. Actually, most of the nominees, it is the first time -- the production design, it's the first time for the production design, the composer, as a composer, and so on.
Q. Now they all have BAFTAs.
A. Yes.
Q. I always get the impression you like to work fast. How did you keep your patience? Four years on this one project.
A. I have to -- the question must be: how they keep the patience with me. They had to be very -- for all that time. Throughout the time, I was just trying to make the movie happen and delivering very bad ideas for people to come up with the good ideas.
Q. Sir, the film has come under a lot of criticism, unfair criticism, for the idea that it is British, this nomination. I wonder if you could set the record straight for us and tell us just how British it is.
A. Well, I don't need to set the record straight. I mean, there's a series of rules that make a film eligible for BAFTAs as a best British film or not. And Gravity definitely has all the requirements, you know, except a couple of Mexicans that came here legally, I have to say. Is that okay? And a couple of American stars. The rest is a film that was completely shot in this country, developed in this country. And you know, it's cutting edge technology developed by British artists; and I wanted to say "artists" because I don't like the distinction between the technical awards and the artistic awards.
Saying so, for me, the real question about the BAFTAs is why, being an institution, that it is a British institution, needs a definition for best film? By that, I mean why it needs to be best British film? It should be "best film" and it should be "best non-British film".
Q. For Televisa Mexico, I would like to ask you one thing. You are celebrating tonight with all of your Mexican closest colleagues in this movie, Emmanuel Lubezki, your son. How special is the cinema when it brings those satisfactions; and also what are the contributions, these awards, you would like to have in the Mexican film industry?
A. Well, how am I going to celebrate? Yes, we are going to celebrate and it is very sweet that all of these -- I mean, some of us were literally family. Others were extended family. And after five years, you really do -- you create a new family, so it is going to be a very sweet and warm celebration.
In terms of the Mexican film industry, I suppose to the question about the Britishness or not Britishness, this is not a Mexican film. You know? And I am sorry to say that, in the sense that I feel embarrassed that this film doesn't provide any benefits to the Mexican film industry; and ultimately very little for the Mexican culture, except maybe the idea that a Mexican is doing a film like this, you know?
But -- and because I -- and I am very grateful by the support that the Mexican public and media has had on me, but at the same time I think it's not to self-congratulate, in the sense that more support is needed for real Mexican films that are making a big impact with great stuff; like the last two years, Mexican film makers have won best director in Cannes.
Q. Hi, congratulations. I just wanted to ask about the really pretty thing that you have got attached to your jacket. Is that a good luck charm? Do you believe in that type of thing? Is that why you bring it with you?
A. Well, this is -- my girlfriend does jewellery called Locket London. So I put it there because it's -- you know, you can choose your charms inside. So I have the initials of my kids and the birthstones and stuff like that, yeah.
NEW SPEAKER: It is really pretty. I saw it on the red carpet and I wondered what it was.
A. It is pretty. Originally they are lockets, but she pinned them down to me like a broach.
NEW SPEAKER: Do you have a lucky charm? Will you take that to the Oscars?
A. I think I am going to wear this. This is working wonderfully.
Q. It's a lovely note on which to end. Thank you very much. Congratulations.
A. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks for the support. Thank you
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EE British Academy Film Awards in 2014 - Winners Press Conference: British Film and Best Director
