Alejandro Pérez is no doubt a member of Cuba’s film vanguard, the creator of significant artistic productions, which have been well received by critics. Behind the camera, he has become a prolific artist creating feature length films and music videos which are veritable works of art, aesthetically, visually and in their ability to communicate. He has participated as director or cinematographer in more than 20 films, including Habanastation, Viva Cuba, Fábula and Conducta.
When did Alejandro Pérez begin to think of the word in images?
The Lucas project has been decisive for Cuban video, according to Alejandro Pérez. First of all, let me tell you that, although people know me as a director of music videos, my degree is actually in teaching.
The teaching profession is one of the most beautiful, and most demanding, in the world. Having studied this subject has served me well in the world of film, since directing a group of people is very similar to giving a lesson in a classroom. … I came to like the discipline at an early age, but a moment arrived in my life when, without being fully aware, a certain inquisitiveness about trying my hand at the art emerged.
I began as a cinematographer, until one day, as an interloper, I went out on a limb to direct a music video and since I saw that it was well-received by the public, I continued breaking into film. I am constantly giving myself challenges and, at this time, I’m preparing what will be my first feature length film.
How important is having a theoretical foundation to making a music video? I would say that theory is important, but, as Karl Marx said, practice is the criterion of truth. Theory gives you the tools, but it’s daily work on the ground that gives you the necessary mastery to complete any project. Over the last few years, the number of young people making music videos has increased. What do you think of this growing interest within Cuban film? The Lucas project, with all its ups and downs, has been fundamental to the promotion of Cuban music.
There are currently many people getting into the audiovisual world.
This new batch of directors coming out of our country’s art schools is anxious to show all that they have learned. Institutions must offer more support to these directors and provide all the support needed, so they can complete the projects in which they are immersed. I very much like the work being done by Joel Guillián, José Rojas, Joseph Ros and Manolito Ortega. Some of these artists have accomplished more than others, but I think in general they are doing work which is consistent with what our communications media demand. Based on your experience, how significant has the Lucas project been to Cuban directors? Currently you can’t conceive of a track without a video.
Around the world artists put out a DVD containing all the tracks on a CD, along with a live concert or a series of videos promoting the disc’s contents. No matter how well known a song might be, without a complementary audiovisual, it won’t reach a high plane. The Lucas project has been decisive to the evolution of Cuban music video. The program, led by Orlando Cruzata, has provided us a platform upon which to present and promote our country’s audiovisual productions. Lucas, with all its ups and downs, has been fundamental to the promotion of Cuban music. What are the critical abilities a film director must have? Director Alejandro Pérez with camera in hand, shooting a music video.
Foto: Martha Sánchez. A person working in film must be an observer and on a constant search, since many times, an idea for doing any piece is right around us. On several occasions, I’ve been working, though not satisfied with the first conception of the video, and at some given moment, it turns out that just looking around my environment, an idea for the project emerges. Another indispensable aspect is that a director must be disposed to working at any time, under any circumstances. If you want to get results in this profession, you have to be a dedicated person. Alejandro Pérez has become Cuba’s most acclaimed director of music videos. You recently had the opportunity to work with a group of prominent artists from other countries. What can you tell us about your experience interacting with Enrique Iglesias? His team contacted me and right away we got ready to shoot this version of the track "Bailando." Enrique Iglesias is an extraordinary human being. During the first meeting I had with him, he commented that he had seen several of my productions on Youtube and had been impressed with my work. Filming with Enrique in the Dominican Republic was an enriching experience. Despite being a recognized artist, he is a modest person, which allows the shooting to be done successfully. We developed a good working relationship, beginning the first day, and in between shots, I had the opportunity to exchange opinions with him about several tracks. He showed himself to be well-informed and a great admirer of Cuban music. (Cubadebate)
