interview

Ski mountaineering world-champion Mireia Miró: “Technology has eliminated the feeling of wildness in nature”

July 17, 2013 07:27 PM | Júlia Manresa

Mireia Miró visits Barcelona a few times a year. Despite not feeling uncomfortable in an urban environment, where she grew up, she spends 90% of her time in the mountains. One of the reasons for being in Barcelona is to deal with media. She sometimes swaps mountain marathons for interview marathons. But it doesn’t bother her: “I think it is also important to tell the world what we do and what are our principles”.

Delafé y Las Flores Azules: "We don't bring light technicians as […] we can fill the stage ourselves'

July 9, 2013 10:09 PM | P.J. Armengou / Andrea Cabrera

The Catalan band Delafé y Las Flores Azules is one of the most unclassifiable groups in Spain. Their style is a mix of hip-hop, pop, indie and rock, and their concerts are an exhibition of movement, music and colour. After ten years on the stage Delafé y las Flores Azules release their fourth album, “De Ti Sin Mí/De Mí sin Ti” (You Without Me/Me Without You). The disc has two CD’s in which the band performs the same songs in two different melodies. Compared to their latest albums, this record is a more melancholic, nostalgic and less electronic product.

Basketball stars Moses Ehambe and Troy Devries: "Catalonia is one of the best countries in the world"

June 25, 2013 09:41 PM | Guido Cengiarotti

In a globalised world, immigration is a crucial factor to understanding how societies are organised. But there are different kinds of immigration. The most common immigrants are those who come to look for work. They are mostly workers from developing countries that are in a situation of poverty, but others come to do unusual jobs, in which they may earn big money and can leave their mark on local people. Moses Ehambe (Arlington, Texas, 1986) and Troy Devries (Mount Vernon, Washington, 1982) are basketball players for Fiact Joventut de Badalona and La Bruixa d’Or Manresa. Despite being foreigners, they prove that sport stars can adapt to the Catalan way of life.

"Despite the crisis in Spain, Barcelona is a city that scores positively in international markets"

June 5, 2013 01:34 AM | Pedro Javier Armengou

Mateu Hernández is the General Director of Barcelona Global, an independent private association that is trying to make Barcelona one of the best cities in the world to attract talent and business activity. Its activities are similar to associations like Partnership for New York, Berlín & Partners and London & Partners, for example. Barcelona Global is made up of the main research centres in the city, prestigious professionals from the Catalan capital or related to it, and more than thirty of the most powerful and innovative companies in Barcelona.

Catalan-pop band Antònia Font: “I believe our music will be well received in the Mediterranean market”

March 8, 2013 08:02 PM | Clara Roig Medina

Pau Debon, the singer of the band, tells CNA the evolution of the group and how they got here. From Majorca to Catalonia, and later to Galicia and the Basque Country, Catalan-speaking Antònia Font has broken its two-year silence with a new album ‘Vostè és aquí’ (Here you are) and a tour throughout Spain. With a new distinguished style escaping from the stereotyped three minutes and ten-song album, they have experimented with new formats and sounds. Debon assures that after sixteen years together and nine albums, now he would like to play in festivals throughout Europe.

Isabel Coixet, the most international Catalan film-maker, criticises the economic crisis in her new movie ‘Yesterday never ends’

March 6, 2013 08:58 PM | CNA / Pere Francesch / Violeta Gumà / Ana Macías

Isabel Coixet, who has worked with top stars such as Tim Robbins, Ben Kingsley or Penelope Cruz, has released her new movie, ‘Yersterday never ends’, which is a stark portrait of the economic crisis. The film premiered at the last Berlinale. Coixet talked to ACN about the movie and the problems which are shaking the foundations of Spain. She also highlighted the movie was made without receiving public funds, as it would have been contradictory with the drama picture on the screen.

Samuel Aranda: “Being a photojournalist has taught me that not everything is what it seems”

February 4, 2013 04:03 PM | Laia Ros

CNA interviews Samuel Aranda, the Catalan photographer who eighteen months ago leapt to fame by winning the World Press Photo competition, the most important award in photojournalism thanks to a shot that would become the symbol of the Arab Spring: Fatima cradling her son Zayed, who was suffering from the effects of tear gas after participating in a demonstration in Yemen. However even after reaching such heady heights, Aranda hasn’t stopped working as his controversial photo essay for the New York Times about the extent of the Spanish economic crisis shows.

“No government has done as much as Catalonia's to adjust the economic situation” affirms the Catalan President

April 26, 2012 10:03 PM | CNA

The Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad has published an interview with the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas. Mas states that “Catalonia’s intervention by Spain would be unthinkable” and “unfair, as no government has done as much as Catalonia's to adjust the economic situation”. Furthermore, he adds that “people’s reaction [against such an intervention] would be very strong”. NRC explains the austerity measures implemented by the Catalan Government to reduce its deficit, such as the drug prescription fee or public employee salary reduction. Furthermore, Mas complained that Spain’s Autonomies model has “decentralised spending but not revenue”; “we want to collect our taxes”, he affirmed, being another “state within a federal Europe”, contributing to regional solidarity.

Sitges International Film Festival kicks off with the Catalan production ‘Eva’ starring Daniel Brühl

October 7, 2011 03:00 PM | CNA / Pere Francesch / Violeta Gumà

The 44th edition of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia begins with the presentation of ‘Eva’, a Catalan movie about robots and artificial intelligence. It stars German-Catalan actor Daniel Brühl (‘Inglorious Basterds’, ‘Good bye Lenin’, or ‘The Edukators’) and ACN talked to him. It is the first time a Catalan movie opens this international festival that will run from October 6th until October 16th.

Murakami: “The problem with Japan's nuclear plant is the absence of idealism. The next ten years should be the years of idealism once again.”

June 11, 2011 03:17 PM | CNA / Violeta Gumà / Maria Fernández Noguera

The Japanese writer was awarded the 23rd Premi Internacional Catalunya in Barcelona. Haruki Murakami announced during the ceremony he will give the prize money to the Tsunami and Fukushima victims, after delivering an anti nuclear power speech. In a later interview with CNA, Murakami explained he will take many ideas with him from his Barcelona trip. He will store these “into one of the drawers” of his mind and later will use them in upcoming books, as he always does.