‘Hugo 24', by Luc Knowles, explores the transition to adulthood in an intense 24-hour journey at the 29th Festival de Málaga
Arón Piper, Marco Cáceres, Marta Etura, and Javier Pereira joined the director for the film's presentation in the Official Out of Competition section
The
29th Festival de Málaga has hosted the presentation of 'Hugo 24', the feature film directed by
Luc Knowles. Following the screening, Knowles, along with the cast, held a Q&A session with the audience, where the film's team discussed details and anecdotes from the shoot.
In the discussion, actors Arón Piper, Marco Cáceres, Marta Etura, and Javier Pereira shared thoughts and experiences, demonstrating a strong rapport that formed the foundation of the cast of this film centred on the protagonist, Hugo.
Starring the popular actor Arón Piper as Hugo, the film revolves around this young man over a twenty-four-hour period, during which he faces a series of events that force him to reconsider his life and the decisions he has made up to that point. Through encounters, memories, and unexpected situations, the protagonist embarks on an emotional journey in which his fears, desires, and the contradictions inherent in a stage of life marked by uncertainty come to the surface.
Through this personal transition, ‘Hugo 24’ explores the passage from late adolescence to adulthood, focusing on second chances and the search for one's place in the world.
“This project comes from the kind of cinema I grew up with”, Luc Knowles responded regarding the influences on this new film, which he acknowledged has a touch of the Spanish crime film genre known as "quinqui." The young director also made it clear that although this story is fiction, he tries to reflect his experiences and worldview in everything he writes: "Hugo is not me, but there is a lot of me in him".
The filmmaker also confirmed his intention to portray a central and very urban Madrid, which has allowed him to make the city itself a character, drawing certain parallels with ‘Libélulas’ (Dragonflies), his first feature film, which was presented and awarded at the Festival de Málaga in the Zonazine section in 2022.
“What made me say yes was the opportunity to act with Marcos and the connection with Luc from the beginning”, explained lead actor Arón Piper, who, along with his co-star and real-life friend Marcos Cáceres, expressed their enthusiasm for having worked together on this project.
The actor also served as a producer on this feature film, his first in that role, which served as a reminder to everyone in the room of the importance of having people who produce and support these stories that sometimes don't receive the recognition they deserve.
For their part, both Marta Etura and Javier Pereira, more established and veteran actors, have agreed that they found a very personal style and a very genuine narrative in this film by Luc Knowles, in addition to highlighting the atmosphere and good bond that existed between all its members.
