«El hábito de monja es algo cercano a un fetiche erótico»: Paco Plaza destripa 'La abuela' y ajusta cuentas con el terror ibérico

I sincerely hope people were paying more attention to the screen than to what you're describing. When I spoke with the organizers, I suggested that it be THE GRANDMOTHER specifically that they screen because it's a film that is especially well-liked and brings back very fond memories for me. And watching it alongside Almudena, who has become a great friend since then, was very nice. I hope people in the theater enjoyed it as much as I did.

As my father told me when I was given my career achievement award in Sitges, "you haven't even made that many, have you?" On the other hand, it's nice that what you've done in these 20 years since my debut is valued, and every time I'm in a theater watching a film of mine, I feel it as a gift—something that when I was a child I never could have dreamed of. I'm super grateful to PUFA, and for it to be in a theater with the tradition of the Broadways—well, just imagine. These theaters are cultural hubs that are becoming scarcer by the day, and we have to protect them. And the way to help them survive is by going. Because later on, we complain when it's already too late.

Well, no. And mind you, I'm superstitious. Should I have done something?

Lowers costs? That's news to me. As a former Salesian student, Catholic iconography fascinates me; it's an endless source of incredible images. Besides, it's true that the nun's habit is close to an erotic fetish—it has something about concealing the shapes of the body that is infinitely more insinuating to me than a latex bodysuit. Uniformity in dress, physical punishment, the suppression of pleasure—these are tremendously rich elements for cultivating the fantastic genre.

I never had the good fortune to direct Paco Rabal. I wish. I would have loved to because he was a monumental actor. Romasanta, my second film, was a true school for me and my first job with many friends who have since been fundamental to my entire subsequent career. I haven't seen it in years, but I have a very fond memory of it.

There is very little of the real event in the film, to be honest. In fact, there is more drawn from the so-called "Embajadores case" and others from that same era. In fact, one of the main changes regarding the "real" story was that religious context we invented. The character of Sister Death is inspired by a Salesian from my school who was rumored to have performed an exorcism in Africa and was a legend on the playground. The children feared and admired him in equal measure.

I hadn't seen any since the original VHS, but I love that franchises exist that stretch on for years and years and serve as a meeting place for the horror community. I think their lack of pretension makes them very endearing, and I loved being a part of it.

I think the documentary explains it perfectly. It's certainly not a place for everyone; it's a tremendously special spot that requires a certain sensitivity and imagination. Andoni Aduriz is one of the brightest and most creative people I've had the good fortune to deal with; I've learned a lot from him, especially his impermeability to the cheap criticism that taking risks like his entails.

There's a time and a place for everything. A tortilla pintxo can be eaten and enjoyed almost daily, like a coffee, a plate of ham... essential pleasures of which one never tires. Gastronomic experiences like the one at Mugaritz or other places only make sense when they are exceptional milestones that you reserve for very specific occasions. And nothing beats a good plate of fried eggs with potatoes in terms of enjoyment—that is the pinnacle of gastronomy, and no one with half a brain would argue otherwise.

I always try to strip away the artifice in the way characters speak, and that extends to the fact that actors do indeed step on each other's lines or leave sentences half-finished, just like we do in real life.

Ha, ha, ha, ha... I think there are several who fit the profile; if that project were made, it would be a stroke of luck that many actors nowadays have very athletic physiques. I resist giving any specific names, but I'm sure we all have a couple of guys and girls in mind.

It's a myth. I haven't consumed industrial sweets in years, with the exception of a Phoskitos I had this summer.

You guys are outdated. For a while now I've been going to the gym 3-4 times a week; I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my lower back and I need to do back exercises frequently to strengthen it. And the truth is I've actually grown to enjoy it.

The Ouija board scares me a lot. Better to keep my distance from it.