“When you imagine something really strong at that age, it gets real, because what is imaginary is also physical,” director Jaume Claret Muxart explained, as Strange River premiered in Venice.
Following the Venice premiere of Strange River as part of the Orizzonti section, director Jaume Claret Muxart sat down withus to reflect on the deeply personal roots of his debut. Describing the atmosphere of the screening, he recalled: “It was really an emotional moment… for us it’s like the waters of the Danube arrive to the waters of Venice now.” Much of the film is drawn from his own adolescence, and when asked what advice he might give his younger self, he smiled: “Maybe to have less fear, to be more brave, to just jump and to see what happens.” For the Catalan filmmaker, the heart of Strange River lies in its silences and glances—“I love how it’s a film of looking… not only the characters looking at each other, but the audience too.” The Danube itself becomes a character, both metaphor and landscape: “This is the reason I chose the first part of the river—because it’s like the first part of life.” Jaume Claret Muxart also touched on cinematic influences, acknowledging Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name while pointing to a broader lineage of French and Italian auteurs. Ultimately, he hopes viewers will be swept into the sensory flow of the film: “I love when cinema makes you feel as if you are there with the characters, inside their summer.”
Our team is on the ground in Italy to cover the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, running from 27 August to 6 September 2025.
