Qumra Master Paulo Branco, honoured as one of the ‘Greatest European Producers’ with over 300 films to his credit, has shared his journey in films in an inimitable fashion.
He urged emerging filmmakers not to play by rules and described film production as a gamble “where you always win even if you lose money because something always stays back”.
The discussion, moderated by Richard Pe?a, former programme director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and director of the New York Film Festival, took participants through the rich and varied experiences of Branco, who started his production career - self-admittedly - “without knowing anything at all about film production”.
Branco said his move to Paris from Lisbon, where he was born, gave him the freedom to take risks. He was happy running a cinema in Paris, when he started his long association with legendary Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira. Together, they made an impressive body of works.
He says the defining aspect of working with Oliveira was that the master knew exactly what he wanted, “framed, shot and edited in his head”, much like Ra?l Ruiz, the experimental Chilean filmmaker, with whom too Branco had made films that won top honours.
Branco went on to discuss the making of Cosmopolis, the Robert Pattinson-starrer that was originally slated for Colin Farrell.
Sharing at the length the quirkiness of some of the directors he worked with and the “crazy” moments in his 30-plus years as a film producer, Branco said the key to filmmaking was to have a “point of view” in everything - from script to shot.
That was also his advice to emerging filmmakers who sought his counsel on aspects, including how he chooses scripts and finances his projects.
“There is no one and only way to making films,” said Branco, admitting candidly that he has never considered anything beyond the present day he lives in. “I want to live in (such a manner) … I don’t know what happens in the next hour. I live day by day not knowing what I do tomorrow.”
That is why he insists that in filmmaking there are no rules, adding that “there are a lot of projects that are deserved to be made’ and urging young filmmakers categorically to “just do it, even if you lose money because something stays back always – your film”.
Branco’s advice to new filmmakers is to bear in mind that “it is important to know what to tell, how to tell and how to use your elements” He said he is keen to hear and discuss the Qumra Projects during his mentoring sessions with the talents.
Branco has the honour of having the largest number of films selected at Cannes Film Festival and in competition for the Palm d’Or. Lisbon Story (Germany, Portugal/1994), produced by Branco and directed by Wim Wenders, was screened in the Modern Masters Screenings at Qumra 2017.