Locarno 2026 Interview: DONKEY PRINCESS Filmmakers Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña Say “Jan Švankmajer Is Our Father”

Chilean filmmaking collective Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña present their latest work at Locarno 2026, transitioning from their signature stop-motion aesthetic into live-action territories while maintaining their handcrafted cinematic methodology. The directors explicitly cite Czech surrealist animator Jan Švankmajer as a foundational creative father figure, signaling continuity with Eastern European avant-garde traditions and tactile, anti-digital filmmaking practices. This interview explores their artistic evolution and the philosophical underpinnings of their expanded formal language, positioning them within a lineage of uncompromising auteurs who prioritize material experimentation and conceptual rigor over commercial convention. The Locarno platform—a major festival circuit for art cinema—amplifies their work’s significance within contemporary auteur cinema discourse.

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