Entrevista en Cinejunky con motivo del SFF-Rated Athens

Please, tell us a few words about the story of your movie.

It would be tricky to reveal an essential part of the plot because it´s just a 15 min long film and it´s a movie that is looking for the surprise of the audience. Basically, it´s a survival story about an old man alone in a modern house during several days. About the meaning of becoming old and left alone by your own family. Talks about time and death.

When I first read about the synopsis of your movie, I could not understand how this movie could be a horror film. I suppose that you played with emotions that could make the audience feel in tension. When did the idea about this movie first come? Which are the elements which make this movie a horror film?

First of all, for me horror is extreme fear and repulsion, not just fear. The character in “The Faucet” feels this kind of emotion because is being pushed to the limit of survival and faces Death, which is the most fearful experience a human being can have. Hopefully the audience will experience some of this, too. This is another part of our goal apart from telling a good story. I had in my mind to make basically a Thriller with a “Hitchcock presents” or “Twilight Zone”´s flavour. And it was premiered at Sitges Fantastic Film Festival! I guess someone considered the movie as a genre or Fantastic Film... It´s difficult to define, there´s a fine line here between realism and surrealism, reality and Fantasy.

In terms of how the project came to me, Beatriz Acinas, the Executive Producer at Continental Producciones, had this short story written by Diego Soto named "The Faucet". The title is not the only interesting asset there´s also an original story behind, and I got involved from the beginning adding some thriller and genre elements to the original, more uncomfortable to watch.


Not all the modern horror is based on monsters, blood and explicit sequences. In my opinion Haneke´s "Funny Games" is a horror movie. It that sense, “The Faucet” plays with real emotions pushed to the limit but not being that explicit as other horror.

“El Grifo” is your fourth movie. I read somewhere that horror is the style, the genre your are interested to work at. Is this true?

I love horror movies, but also all kind of Fantastic Films. To name a few of my classical all-time favorites: “The Shinning”, “The Exorcist”, “Alien”, “Antichrist”, “The Omen”, “The Thing”, “Oldboy”, “Lost Highway”,... Different type of movies and directors that I admire, also new independent titles like “Animal Kingdom” or “Blue Valentine”... I don´t know, all kind of good cinema: crazy, personal and unique films. Good scripts,...!! I personally tend to write thrillers and terror stuff but I´m now developing a Romantic Thriller also, so I´m pretty much opened to different styles and ways of seeing filmmaking.

Why do you use a nickname?

This a funny question. Actually a lot of people ask me this, ´cause my real name is Daniel Rovira. My mother´s Dutch and by the time I was born in Spain (1976) there was some difficulties to name somebody Denis, the name my parents really wanted for me. And that´s why now I use this name and I like it better.

Reading a short biography of yours, I'd like to mention your education. All your studies are in cinematography. Which was your first steps where you realized that cinematography would be your job?

Before and during my studies first in Spain and after this at UCLA in Los Angeles always had in mind my own no-budget short-films to shoot with friend and other students. I directed “WATCH” and my previous shorts with the help of a bunch of people interested in collaborate in my projects. Something that happened also afterwards with “ANGEL”, “LAZARUS TAXON” and “THE FAUCET” but in more professional way. Important companies that really believed in the projects and helped me to finish them. Since I was 18 I knew I was going to be a director, now I work mostly in commercials while I´m waiting the time to debut in a feature film.


This short movie and the previous ones have won in some film festivals they appeared. You chose “El Grifo” to be appeared in a greek film festival. How did this happened and from where did you hear about the greek film festival?

The sci-fi/horror “LAZARUS TAXON” was also screened at the SFF-RATED ATHENS, a couple of years ago. And I´m glad to say it was released in the DVD of the best shorts of the festival... I knew the festival and the organization from that previous experienced. It´s a well-known festival in the “Meliés” circuit.

Is there a new movie you're doing this period?

I´m writing a feature film titled RETRUM, it´s a dark and romantic Thriller based on a Francesc Miralles novel, for Media Films in Spain and the well-known producer Luís de Val. It´s a very interesting and original movie, not horror but with some scary moments for sure. Also involved in “CHOCK II” an international Swedish Co-production horror tv-series, originally released back in 1997. I´m planning to shoot the Spanish chapter. Both projects heading late 2011-2012.