When Abel Góngora saw on his television or in Barcelona cinema, the first Star Wars movies -name barely used then in Spain to the detriment of the war of the galaxies-, by his head did not even pass the possibility that his hands would end up redesigning
Some of the characters in the saga.
But almost three decades later happened.

At 37 years, wait on the other side of the zoom, freshly past the lunch time in Japan and just arrival that of breakfast in Spain, as director of one of the nine short films (T0-B1) that make up Star Wars: Visions, the
Anime version of the Saga designed at the end of the 70s by George Lucas that Wednesday premiered Disney + worldwide.
“Just thinking that he was going to do was amazing and when I knew he was going to be director in the project …”.

The “sleep fulfilled” of a Catalan child, then formed in Valencia, who enjoyed the 90s already was attracted to the anime and drawing.
“I always liked to draw comics and being very small, when I still did not know I had talent, I remember that I wanted to have a kiosk to sell comics and be able to read them”, he details him about a “very ambitious” vision.

Above all, if you put an eye on the curriculum of this graduate in Fine Arts.
A year in the Irish study, Cartoon Saloon;
Two, in French Ankama, and and eight, at the Jippon Science Saru with which he has now directed this project.
“Getting here was basically for destiny, I never wanted to work in Japan because I knew the hard conditions they had, but my company in France sent me here with my partner Juan Miguel Laguna, we made contacts and we stayed.”

The decision to stay has a name and surnames: Masaki Yuasa, creator of the study and “Idol” of Góngora since adolescence.
“He asked me to come and that was a dream come true, you do not ask how much it will last or if it’s just a small experience,” he details.
Although it does not seem that it is going to be because in the medium term the vision of it remains to remain in Japan despite the fact that “socially the work is understood in another way” and the animation “requires many hours and labor”.

“It is very sacrificed and that is why the most complex animation in the world is created here, it is literally spending hours and hours, although the digital has stated processes are still necessary many hours. When you are in full production, you know that your life is going to dedicate itself only
To this, you have to have a lot of passion, “says Góngora, who also contributes that the Asian country is” quite closed to immigration “.

And, to those harsh conditions, the driving project to transform into anime from the 60s the Saga of Star Wars for Disney + and direct the sixth episode of the series.
“Personally it’s been the hardest because I had never directed such an important project, but it has more reward because it is my work, when you see what you have created, there is a part of pain and satisfaction that is worth it.”

A satisfaction that is appreciated in its expression and its words on the other side of the screen and that it vanishes to the Mentionale if it raises a return to Spain.
“There are countries such as France, England, the United States or Canada with very good condition, the animators go to those countries for that, but the animation in Spain I do not see it. There are interesting projects but I do not see any option to be continually there. I
I went before the crisis and I did not find it for looking for work, I went for ambition and to learn. I have never thought that coming back, “recognizes this Catalan, which right now is the only Spanish designer in Japan.

“Unless I know,” he says.

Even so, the distance does not prevent you from being informed of what happens in your country through the radio and the podcast and that this generates interest.
“Besides now with social networks is easy because I see what people share, the only thing is that I have a view close to people who think like me in political and social interests and I do not know if it is so much a real vision,” highlights this
Creator, who discovered his skills for the anime in his passage through the Faculty of Fine Arts in Valencia.

“When I got there they had a small team and a workshop where I could develop because in Spain it is difficult to know what schools go, there is no career of animation and when you are young it is difficult to know how to get to this world. Those who arrived is
Luckily or by chance, “Gogora culminates that before ending it confesses that some of his new designs” are made with music from Bad Gyal in the background. ”
Of Barcelona Pal world.