With the presentation of Pedro Almodovar’s latest film Dolor y Gloria at the last Cannes Film Festival was celebrated as a genius of world cinema and certainly the one that represented the fresco of the Spanish cultural renaissance between the 1980s and early 2000s.
On this occasion there were many re-enactments of Almodovar’s films that contributed to his well-deserved fame. But what is it about BCF Design with Almodovar? It is soon said, in the film Carne Tremula realized in 1997, when Spain was in its full cultural splendor, in a central scene lasting a few minutes, we see the protagonist who takes a bath in the Goleta tank designed by BCF in 1994 for Roca. I want to remember this detail because in my opinion it has many meanings.
Pedro Almodovar has an artistic focus and precision for every frame, you feel a sensitivity to the aesthetics of the image in every detail. In this picture, the Goletta bathtub enters like an object that actively participates in the development of the action of the film, capturing details such as the famous view of the protagonist’s face immersed in the tub that seems to play with the tub itself, or where the two actors they talk one in front of the other and the edge of the tub is the perfect frame for the action.
Another aspect is the absolute normality that is perceived in the film of the domestic scene represented, we do not have interiors of cover houses, but the feeling of an absolutely normal bathroom space and therefore outside the stylistic canons that relegate design objects only for environments for wealthy classes and with a cold and sophisticated style.
Goleta, designed in 1994, has a simple but effective design, it was characterized by the sign of the backrest that wraps around the shoulders of those sitting and then descends to become arm rests. A product that has received immediate sales success and that was rich in image and comfortable to use.
The fact that Goleta appeared in Almodovar’s film, due to his cinematographic style and the chosen setting, is the testimony of a design that has entered Spanish homes with spontaneity.
In its long professional experience linked to product design of objects produced in large numbers, BCF has sometimes seen the use in the environments of the films of objects designed by BCF.
In this context, I want to emphasize that the design of large numbers impacts the everyday life of many and their presence of these objects in films are proof of this, from here we see the essence of our work, which through the objects we all use the days, with their design we try to improve the quality of life, which in essence is made up of small attentions to things and which ultimately make the difference.
BCF design and large numbers
Since its debut BCF has preferred to focus on design challenges and product design development with high-volume industrial productions, just think of the long-term consultancy in products such as steel sinks for Franke, tub productions for Roca, the production of pots for Coin to name a few, all products made in tens of thousands or even millions of pieces, as in the case of sinks and pans.
Marcello Cutino
