Marcelo Von Schwartz (Part 1)

Marcelo Von Schwartz is a forty-something Argentinian/Spanish architect, photographer, film producer and director.

He lives between Barcelona and Bangkok and has just finished his first feature film, a thriller called Dark Bridge.

What is it that you do?

I’m very lucky; I can live from my creativity. I use different forms of expression. I asked myself many times to choose only one discipline, but I find all of them very interesting and exciting. I like to use some architectural concepts in my films, as well as some cinematographic concepts in my architectural projects, and use them in an original mix. Sometimes I feel the sensation like I am married to two very possessive women at the same time...
 
You are an Argentinian living in Barcelona and Bangkok . Sounds interesting.
Yes, a nice balance between the mature Mediterranean creativity and the Asian chaotic energy. A schizophrenic cool mix. I need both.
 
But which do you prefer?

Definitely, I prefer Bangkok. Obsessive order is sometimes very boring. I miss the Barcelona of the early 90s, so different from today. In the last decade Barcelona became a very nice city to visit or to party, but very boring to live in. I know a lot of artists and creative people that are leaving the city. Some of them went to Madrid; some are looking for more interesting places, like Berlin, Bangkok or even Buenos Aries.
 
You just made your first feature film. What’s it about?

Dark Bridge is a psychological fantasy, multi-dimensional thriller; a neo-noir film. Like a Moebius strip, it develops in a dreamlike atmosphere, where the boundaries between dream and reality are no too clear, they are mixed up. The narrative is non-linear. The story appears fragmented through bursts of complementary images and at the same time shows flash-backs that allow David White [the protagonist], as well as the audience, to move forward along that dark bridge towards the opposite bank, the one with the hidden history, and the hellish ending.

Where in Bangkok did you film?

Bangkok is a very cinematographic city. I played with some old\traditional places like Wat-Pho, Nonthaburi Market, Chinatown, and the Chao-Praya River. We used the streets a lot too. Here almost everything happens in the streets.

You are working on a project about Muay Thai aren’t you?

Actually, I am finishing an interesting photo-book about it. I am preparing the documentary with a well-known Spanish photographer, Patricio Reig. Its not just about the ring, we like to show everything that happens around, before and after the fight.

What else is in the pipeline?

Hmmm... a lot of projects. I’m now in pre-production for a European movie to shoot in India. It’s a kind of road movie that I am co-producing for a friend, an award winning Spanish director. I’m writing the script for my next movie as director, a very colorful road-movie also shooting in India. I’m hearing the call of India.

What architectural projects have you been working on?

In my office in Barcelona we create and develop new shop concepts and also re-style shops for existing brands. I find it fascinating to work with shopping habits and behaviors; shopping is the most important cultural activity nowadays, even though I personally prefer other activities...
 
If you could build anything in Bangkok what would it be?

I dream about a multi-media contemporary art center, an avant-garde place to experience all the new media trends as well to show the results and interact with the audiences. I see the building itself as a mix between virtual spaces and new technology architecture.

Do you love the kitsch quality of Bangkok or do you find it far too narak?

I love it, definitely. And I miss it when I am in the European non-kitsch places..I love the Bangkok authenticity, even the kitsch side...