“The Deer is the consequence of transition. The result of crossing daily the road which goes around the marsh and along the river. From observation of the transformation which has taken place over the years in this very singular place. From the apparition of new species and forms of life (flora, fauna, and people) and the disappearance of others.
The Deer is a river movie. It is more liquid than solid, and open to evanescent thoughts. It is a film that shows geographical and human peripheries. It speaks of friendship and betrayal, of furtive and unrequited love, of solidarity between different people, and of revenge. With The Deer we aim for the viewer to leave the cinema with the feeling that there has been no interruption in reality; that what they have seen on the screen is not remote from life. We have been open to chance playing its part in the film. The Deer is a film that trusts in the intelligence and sensitivity of the viewer.
Filmed with both professional and non-professional actors in real landscapes and places that were filmed as they were, the border separating fiction and reality is blurred in Oreina (The Deer). The production is influenced more by impressionism than by hyperrealism.
The characters in the film live on geographical and social margins. The spectator is invited to accompany them, in an attempt to avoid clichés. But in this case, liking the characters does not mean that we have to forgive them for everything.
The Deer is a film that has never had a cast-iron script. It is a film where intuition and certainty dissolve (and come together) like the salt and fresh water of a marsh.
When making The Deer, it was essential to avoid manipulation and resist the need to tell everything. Instead of telling, it was decided to suggest; instead of showing, to hide.”
– Koldo Almandoz, Director
