Interview: Yango González
Luca Curci talks with Yango González during CONTEMPORARY VENICE 2021 – 8TH EDITION, at THE ROOM Contemporary Art Space.

Yango González was born in Colombia in 1988 and lives currently in Berlin. The film direction was at the Politécnico Grancolombiano in Colombia and at the FAAP. He participated as director, producer and author in two awarded collaborative features with numerous filmmakers around the world; “The Owner” (2012) with 25 directors in 13 countries and “Train Station” (2016) with 40 directors in 25 countries. Since Yango migrated to Europe, has shot several documentaries short films, and institutional and promotion videos in Germany, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Croatia, Norway, Western Sahara and Algeria. His documentary films in Film-Essay-Form are “Dear Leon and Denise” (France 2014), “In praise of Freedom” (Germany, Spain, France u.a. 2015) and “Your Franz” (Czech Republic, Germany 2016). Currently, he is finishing two documentaries; “Dancing against oblivion” and “The way is the goal”.

Luca Curci – What are you currently working on?
Yango González – I’m developing a feature Essay-film called “A dubious myth called Happiness”; as my film “In praise of Freedom”, which is being exhibited in Contemporary Venice 2021, is an exploration through the voices of many different people from different cultures about a topic that concerns whole humanity. It includes the voices of people telling their life experiences and reflections, as the researchers of scientists and philosophers; The ancient myth of an afterlife place called paradise has been replaced by the modern myth of a mind-state called happiness, where we are supposed to live as long as possible before death.

LC – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
YG – I’m a filmmaker and screenwriter. Although I made fiction films at the beginning of my career, with time I started to get more interested in exploring experimental formats and mostly in the Essay Film. The most transcendental experience in finding my language has been my journeys and my own transformations during that time.

LC – Did your style change over the years? In which way?
YG – For sure. It became more personal and at the same time more universal. My style requires time and discovering it demanded an unconventional timeframe that I explored out of the film conventions. In my new project, I’m using the same principle of working image and sound independently, but I’m adding philosophical and scientific points of view.

LC – What is your creative process like?
YG – I use to have my camera with me and be ready to film singular images that I find in the streets, in nature or in general on my trips. I also collect interviews with people of different ages and from different cultures. Often I only use the sound for that purpose. In the editing process, I found the metaphors mixing the voices, images and my own writings and recordings.

LC – What is the most challenging part about creating your artworks?
YG – They need time. In traditional films, interviews are accompanied by the image of the interviewees. Having another approach means another production way. My techniques require a constant exercise of carrying equipment, sorting the material and having a meticulous order and memory, so I can link them right word with the right images.

LC – We were attracted by your last artistic production, has the artwork presented been created for the festival or as a part of preexisting works?
YG – It’s part of a longer film that last 30 minutes. I made a shorter version for the festival.

LC – In which way the artwork presented in our exhibition is connected with the festival’s theme?
YG – It is a film made in many countries, with different voices, languages and diverse landscapes and cultural contexts. It is a contemporary transcultural exploration of the meaning of freedom.

LC – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
YG – There is a huge diversity of formats, styles, expressions and origins of the artists. And I really appreciate that diversity.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
YG – As an international space for so many different artists, it has a big potential.