COUPLES THERAPY, 101min., Spain
Directed by Gaizka Urresti
The singer-songwriters Marwan and Rozalén embark on a journey to try to answer the universal question: 'What is love?' On this path, five real Aragonese couples undergo therapy for six months to rediscover themselves following the steps of the first international research in Spanish on couples, which scientifically concludes that nurturing love improves mental health.

https://www.terapiadeparejaslapelicula.es/
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Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

My wife, Elisa Múgica, the screenwriter and co-producer of the film, told me in 2019 about EFT Couples Therapy (Emotionally Focused Therapy) developed by the Canadian doctor Sue Johnson and the international research in which she was going to participate (the first research in Spanish) with couples and psychologists from Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Spain. It seemed to me that following the research on couples and romantic love could make for a compelling film. From there, I was invited to document the first meeting between the therapists, researchers, and supervisors of this research in Mexico in February 2020, and the project grew until it became what is now the film.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

As I mentioned, I filmed the first footage in February 2020. The initial idea was to illustrate the therapies with some Latin American couples from the research who agreed to share their sessions, which were being recorded by the researchers, for the film. Then the pandemic hit, and the entire project (both the research and the film) came to a halt. When it resumed, the sessions with the couples were conducted with masks, which was not very cinematic for illustrating work on emotions, where facial expressions and non-verbal language play a fundamental role.
Therefore, in the fall of 2021, we held a casting call for couples in Aragón, where we live, among couples willing to undergo real therapy for six months and allow those sessions to be used for the film. We were surprised by the number of people who, through social media, showed a willingness to participate. Many people who have seen the film consider them very brave for sharing their intimacy with the viewers. 150 people signed up in one weekend. From there, we conducted a casting and selected the 5 protagonist couples with the premise that they should be representative in terms of different ages, sexual diversity, and socio-economic background.
The filming extended until the summer of 2022 (we also shot some additional scenes with the narrators in the spring of 2023). The first public screening was in late November 2023, and the commercial premiere across Spain was on Valentine's Day this year, coinciding with the first day of filming four years earlier.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

A self-help film that can help improve our relationships.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The editing was undoubtedly the most complex part. We started in the spring of 2022 and it extended until the summer of 2023. We had over 70 hours of therapy recorded with 3 cameras, and there were such amazing sessions that it seemed impossible to leave anything out. Condensing the evolution of the couples into 100 minutes, including the narrators, the experiments, the research, and the films, has been a long and fruitful journey.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I usually test the films with an audience before entering the final stages of post-production and I question the attendees about the films. The first thing that surprised us was how much they laughed during the screening. Elisa Múgica got very nervous because she thought we might have ridiculed or trivialized the couples, but with the feedback, we realized that the audience identified with many elements of the couples. Their laughter was cathartic, a reflection of identification and nerves from seeing themselves on screen. The level of acceptance was very high, at 92%. Forty percent loved the film and 52% liked it. Only 8% felt the film didn't resonate with them.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Since I was very young, around 12 years old, I knew I wanted to make films. I was fascinated by watching movies.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Well, without a doubt, my own films. During the process of editing, post-production, sound mixing, and promotion, I’ve watched some of my movies between 50 and 100 times. You have to really love what you do to not get tired of your own films.
As for other movies, I can't say for sure. There are many classics that, when you come across them on TV, you get hooked all over again, from "Singin' in the Rain" to Hitchcock's films, Woody Allen's, or Clint Eastwood's.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

During my early years, festivals were very important for building a résumé as a director and, especially before the 2008 crisis, when festivals would invite you to present your film to the public and meet other directors and producers. Nowadays, everything is more virtual, and I don't enjoy it as much. There are fewer invitations, and it's also harder for me to travel.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Streaming platforms for festivals like FilmFreeway have made film promotion at festivals much easier, but they've also distanced you significantly from direct contact with the organizers and the audience. You feel a bit like an algorithm, a ledger entry, and you're never quite sure who is on the other side. For me, cinema is about communication, and that is being lost.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Just like with cinema, I enjoy food so much that I can derive pleasure even from mediocre dishes. Additionally, in Spain, we have a great variety and quality of food, from tortilla de patatas and paella to a good legume stew.
11. What is next for you? A new film?

Well, I'm working on several documentaries at the same time. Two about two very different filmmakers who have already passed away, José María Forqué and Eloy de la Iglesia. Each one, in its own way, aims to be an act of investigation, vindication and love for cinema. Then I'm working on another biographical document about a Jota Aragonesa dancer who, after a 40-year career, is retiring from the stage at the age of 55. I'm accompanying him in this process. And some more, but they're still in development. I have more projects than time to do them.