Jorge Lara co-directs ‘Los Justos’: “The picaresque in Spain is in the DNA and today we see it with corruption”

Jorge Lara and Fernando Perez They premiere next April 30 ‘The Righteous’ a film about nine members of a popular jury who receive a secret offer: one million euros each if they change their vote from guilty to innocent in a corruption case. The film, which has screened at the Malaga Festival, has a cast headed by Carmen Machi, Pilar Castro, Marcelo Subiotto and Bruna Cousin.

“Picaresque in Spain is something that we carry in our DNA and it has gotten out of hand, and in essence it is the corruption that exists today. It has simply evolved over the years,” says filmmaker Jorge Lara in an interview with Europa Press, in which his partner Fernando Pérez and actors Carmen Machi, Pilar Castro and Vito Sanz also participate.

In that sense, Lara draws a direct line between the Spanish picaresque tradition and the current scandals of today, and recognizes the influence of the cinema of Berlanga and Azcona, in which money “was always present.” “His films had the need to try the social elevator and get the money“says Jorge Lara.

The co-director, Fernando Pérez, points out that corruption “transcends all layers of society” and argues that the politicians who are involved in these cases “have previously been citizens like the rest and have been parents, children and co-workers.” “This incipient corruption does not arise overnight. “We were interested in knowing when and where that first spark arose.”he explained.

Both directors acknowledge that, when they began developing the project eight years ago, they feared that the film would become outdated. “Ignorant of us, we thought that it would still be outdated, but it is exponential, it is more alive than ever,” says Pérez, in relation to corruption. However, they add that ‘The Just’ does not seek to point out or teach. “We have no intention of changing anything. We simply propose a game, a moral dilemma, and that resonates with each person as they have to solve it.”Lara added.

“It is good for us that corruption has not ceased to be in force, but we ask that it end now,” ask both filmmakers.

CORRUPTION, A NORMALIZED PHENOMENON?

In the case of the actors, Pilar Castro, who plays the most ambitious character on the jury, reflects on the normalization of corruption. “We do not have to normalize corruption, we cannot normalize it and we do not have to resign ourselves,” he warns.

“You don’t have to be corrupt at all in this society, because if not it is very easy to fall into what we then want others not to do. Now there is a lot of corruption with the issue of housing and it is terrible. People love each time more and more and it cannot be that some have too much to disadvantage others.“he explained.

Regarding her character, Castro defines her as someone very prepared to whom life has not given opportunities. “She’s a very smart girl, but she’s the most corrupt of the group,” he confesses. For her part, Carmen Machi sees in this character the reflection of a recognizable social dynamic. “The million is no longer enough for you, you want to take away from us. It is the clear example that when you have something, you want more“, he states.

For his part, actor Vito Sanz warns against the discourse of resignation. “There are times when it is said ‘everyone steals, some more, others less’. That is horrible, that is painful,” he says.

Finally, Carmen Machi believes that viewers will empathize with the characters and identify with them. “I don’t know if there will be any viewers who are against any of the characters. I get the feeling that they are going to empathize because they want to understand them, not because they agree with them.“, he states.