Sergi Gallardo talks to us about the filming of "Querer", directed by Alauda Ruíz de Azúa

Watching the four episodes, we really get the sense of a long battle for Miren’s character. The story spans more than three years, with four chapters unfolding almost inevitably. Were you able to shoot the series in chronological order, particularly for the actors ?

Sergi Gallardo : Of course, the ideal would have been to shoot in chronological order—the actors and the director would have greatly appreciated it, and so would I. But in television, that’s almost never possible, as it would drive up costs beyond what production can afford. It’s especially challenging for productions with limited budgets. So, we shot everything we could in sequence, but whenever we entered a location, we had to film everything set there, fitting it into the 55-day shooting schedule, even if it meant jumping between episodes.
For instance, on the first day, we shot the very first sequence of the series (excluding the love scene with Jon, which was somewhat separate). It was the police station scene where Miren files a complaint against her husband. After that, we had to alternate sequences from different episodes throughout the shoot. This is a real challenge for the actors, but we had an incredible cast, capable of switching emotional registers within the same day. It was truly admirable to see how focused they remained.
One interesting anecdote is that Episode 3, which is centered on the trial, was shot in its entirety over 11 days in the courtroom using two cameras. During that time, we didn’t use any artificial lighting—everything was filmed with the natural light in the room. This helped avoid interrupting the actors and allowed for a more fluid filming process. One of the few unconventional decisions we made for the series was to use a courtroom larger than what would normally be used for such a trial. However, this helped us significantly, both in terms of lighting and depth of background, compared to smaller rooms.

The series presents a rather unusual image of Spain... Everything looks cold, gray, and rainy !

SG : The story takes place in Bilbao, in the Basque Country. This part of northern Spain is very rainy, often with overcast skies. We made a point of avoiding the sun as much as possible, carefully scheduling our shoots to ensure we were always in the shade if the sun did come out. We never used artificial rain—whenever it rains on screen, it’s real. And since we were shooting in winter, we were lucky that the weather perfectly matched the story and our color palette.
Even for interior scenes, we paid close attention to the color palette, working closely with the set and costume departments. That said, we didn’t always have complete control because we were shooting in real locations where we couldn’t make major alterations. We even ruled out many potential locations simply because they didn’t fit within our color scheme. Meticulous preparation was essential—we never settled for a location unless we were completely convinced by it.

What were your technical choices given these constraints ?

SG : Alauda and I had numerous discussions about the desired aesthetic. Over the course of our conversations, we referenced a wide range of films and series : Another Round, Prisoners, Mindhunter, Tár, Amour, Normal People… From all of these, we crafted our own visual language.
Alauda had a very clear vision of the aesthetics she wanted. We aimed to avoid any spectacular visuals that might distract from the core of the story. This philosophy applied to the entire series—we only moved the camera when necessary, with no unnecessary flourishes. Many of the camera movements were intended to heighten Miren’s anxiety, and by extension, the viewer’s.
This also applied to the lighting : we always prioritized storytelling over purely aesthetic concerns. At one point, I suggested using a handheld camera, but Alauda dissuaded me, and we only used it in very specific moments, such as the opening sex scene in Episode 1.
Given that we shot everything in real locations and often couldn’t control the windows, I decided to work with equipment that could handle strong contrasts well. That’s why I chose the Alexa 35 and Arri Signature Prime lenses.

Can you tell us about the choice of locations and framing format ?

SG : We were extremely careful in selecting locations. Thorough preparation was crucial to achieving a strong final result. Of course, given the budget constraints, we sometimes had to do with what we had. But for me, locations are fundamental—if the space isn’t suited for filming, the final result suffers. For example, if you’re stuck with a small, windowless white room, it’s very difficult to achieve a visually compelling image. I often wonder whether the greatest cinematographers could do better in such conditions, and I think the limitations are universal.
As for the framing format, the decision was made together with Alauda. While we wanted a naturalistic feel, we also didn’t want a cinéma vérité look. The 2.35:1 aspect ratio gave the series a more cinematic quality.

The scene where Miren packs her suitcase, preparing to leave home, marks a shift toward suspense...

SG : This sequence was meticulously planned. Alauda had a precise vision for it. Of course, we always consider the actors’ suggestions, but in this particular case, the scene was filmed exactly as planned.
During pre-production, we discussed it extensively to create an almost Hitchcockian tension, so the viewer would feel as if they were in Miren’s shoes. There was no storyboard for this sequence—in fact, no scene in the series was storyboarded. I simply attended all the rehearsals with the actors, directly at the filming locations. This allowed us to carefully consider angles and viewpoints so that once we started shooting, there was minimal uncertainty.

This apartment is very dark… almost eerie !

SG : The apartment was one of the trickiest locations to manage. It was located on Gran Vía in Bilbao, the city’s main artery, which made it difficult to set up lighting cranes. We couldn’t place them wherever we wanted—only where permitted. Large trees pressed against the windows, preventing light from entering properly. Filtering the windows was also challenging since the apartment was on the fifth floor. Bilbao’s constantly changing weather, with shifting clouds, further complicated things. We sometimes found ourselves with unexpected color shifts. Filming in winter also meant we lost daylight very quickly—we even had to reshoot a sequence due to insufficient outdoor light. In some cases, I had to place artificial lights inside to simulate natural daylight, which required very careful control to avoid making it look fake.

In the first episode, a powerful scene takes place in a small bathroom where Miren hides to avoid seeing her husband...

SG : This scene was always planned this way. The use of the mirror, with Miren approaching and retreating, created an interesting perspective to emphasize her sense of suffocation while also maintaining a certain distance. Even though this scene was carefully designed, there are moments when instinct takes over. Sometimes you frame a shot without knowing exactly why, but you feel it’s the right way to tell the story. But the entire shoot was somehow intense and demanding. The whole team was fully aware of the subject matter we were dealing with, which helped maintain a constant tension on set. Alauda is a talented director who knows how to bring out the best in her actors. That sometimes meant doing multiple takes until we got the perfect one—not just in terms of the actors’ performances, but also for technical aspects like camera work. We also had to move quickly to minimize interruptions for the actors and avoid breaking their concentration.

One of the series’ strengths is that it’s hard to know who’s the main character. Everyone seems to be treated equally...

SG : It’s indeed a choral series with four main characters. But for me, Miren (Nagore Aranburu) is the true protagonist. We never consciously tried to emphasize one character over another—they all held equal importance, as we didn’t emphasize any of them in particular. Perhaps unconsciously, we used more low-angle shots for Miren than for the other characters, but this wasn’t a deliberate strategy. This type of framing simply heightened the anxiety she was experiencing. As in terms of lighting, since we often filmed in confined spaces, it wasn’t always possible to visually separate one character from the others.

Billy Wilder used to say that cinema is all about rhythm. Was that a concern for you ?

SG : Billy Wilder is one of my favorite directors. Alauda and I knew exactly what rhythm the series needed, and we were completely in sync. Of course, the pacing was fine-tuned in editing, but when I saw the final series, it was exactly as we had envisioned.
In another life, I would have loved to shoot a film with Billy Wilder and capture that rhythm he mastered so well !

(Interview by François Reumont for the AFC)