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 In 2002 Carlos Atanes started the project of making an independent movie about Aleister Crowley and his Magick. It is not the first time someone tries to film Crowley's life. Nobody has achieved it until now. It would say a current of magic power, heavy, black and silent like Baphomet's opened large mouth prevents the achievement of film projects inspired by the British magician. Atanes has tried it twice.
Now Atanes has done the final touches to a new script of feature film inspired by Aleister Crowley's figure. This will be the third (and, if the gods are propitious, the definitive one) attempt of filming this so slippery full-lenght film. Third time's charm. If you want to be aware of this project, filming and release, join the Carlos Atanes' Facebook group and we'll keep you up-to-date.
LATEST ATTEMPTS:
First: " IAN PERPLEXED": In 2002 springtime the first round begins: the shooting in English of Ian Perplexed. Carlos Atanes makes some sequences with a team made up of British, Spanish and American actors. Some of them, as Scott Fitzpatrick, Manuel F. García and Manuel Solàs (who was chosen for playing Crowley) previously worked in atanic films. The third day the filming stops. There are countless production difficulties. Manuel Solàs' participation was planning for fourth day, so no scene was shooting with the character of Aleister Crowley.
Second: "PERDURABO": At the beginning of summer 2002 the project is taken up again. Atanes writes the first part of a new screenplay, Perdurabo. The new version will be shooted in Spanish. Some of the involved actors in Ian Perplexed (Manuel Solàs and Toni Arteaga) return to the new project. And several actresses who went to Ian Perplexed casting (Alejandra Soler and Colombia Viaga, who have not the opportunity to take part in the film) also came. Likewise Atanes calls Neus Bernaus and Raúl Mena, actors in FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions, the movie filmed in 2001 that was being edited at that time. The crew is restructured. Joaquín Torres Baumgartner (director of photography), Marta Timón (production), Eva Carbó (camera assistant) and Yolanda Herrera (wardrobe) repeat. Ernest Mascort, Mónica Saurina, Eli Gonzalez and Nadia Balada join in tasks of production, direction assistant and decoration. The part of script that is written fits to the first third (40 min.) of Perdurabo. It passes in Thelema's Abbey, in Sicily. It is foreseen that in this part Aleister Crowley (Manuel Solàs) appears in a shot only one.
Without ending the script, the team begin to prepare and to rehearse this first third. For weeks there is conditioned the interior of a former house of the XVIIth century and there is reproduced the environment of Thelema, the Cefalu's Abbey (Sicily), include the original murals painted by Aleister Crowley in the walls of the abbey (to a size lightly top) and the Room of the Nightmares, the bedroom of the magician.
In August, 2002, in an environment of stifling heat and flies, Perdurabo's first part is filmed. In spite of the difficulties the aim is achieved: to shoot practically all the sequences foreseen (40 minutes) in five days. Nevertheless, such a tight schedule forces to leave some things for the way. Crowley's plane is not filmed. Once again, Manuel Solàs is out of the movie.
Nevertheless, though the character of Crowley did not appear in this first third of Perdurabo, the cast and crew could not avoid during the whole filming the intense sensation that Crowley was, somehow, present. This photography taken during the filming by Ernest Mascort, and draft 90 º, is very significant. It shows a face that reminds to Crowley's.This image probably is a product of the chance, but it does not stop being strange, especially if we bear in mind this sensation of invisible presence perceived by all those who were in the set (sensation that lasts some years later, since have reported those who have re-visited the place of filming).
Finally Perdurabo (the first part) appeared as a medium-length film of 40 min., with music composed by Xavier Tort. In 2003 and 2004 it was screened in some film festivals, as Girona International Film Festival, Fantasy Film Festival Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre, Zemos 98.8 in Seville or the Retina Zzigetvar in Hungary. In spite of the fact that Atanes wrote the second part in a little time, the filming was never tackled of this one. Not of the third one. It was decided to stop again the project and the screenings. Since then Perdurabo has not returned to be see in any place, in spite of the enormous interest showed by a lot of individuals, festivals and associations. From 2003 Carlos Atanes has been busy ending hisfirst full-lenght film, FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions, and filming following, PROXIMA, to the wait of finding the conditions and the opportune moment to deal again with Aleister Crowley. For third time.
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