The discussion was moderated by SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. (Pablo Van Dyck / Daily Nexus)

Without a cloud in the sky, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival held its annual International Directors Panel with four outstanding directors on Feb. 12.

Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) Executive Director Roger Durling walked onto the stage to introduce the four panelists: Gints Zilbalodis (“Flow”), Walter Salles (“I’m Still Here”), Mohammad Rasoulof (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”) and Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”). Both Rasoulof and Audiard were accompanied by a translator. 

All directors featured within the panel are nominated for Best International Feature Film for the 2025 Academy Awards, with some films being nominated for more than one award, such as “Flow” for Best Animated Feature, “I’m Still Here” for Best Actress and Best Picture, in addition to “Emilia Pérez,” which has 13 other nominations — some of the most in Academy Award history.

Durling introduced each of the directors and took 15-20 minutes with each director to discuss their film. 

The discussion started with Zilbalodis, who talked about the power of making films with dialogue: “All the films I’ve done are without dialogue. And to me, that’s not really a restriction. It’s kind of liberating.” 

Zilbalodis continued to discuss the personal elements that went into making “Flow,” and his struggles with creating the film reflect the journey of the cat in the film. Following a group of animals who band together to survive after their home is destroyed by a great flood, “Flow” creates an incredibly nonverbal journey of adapting and creating connections between those you wouldn’t expect. 

Doing all of his own producing, directing, and writing in his previous film, Zilbalodis struggled with impostor syndrome while dealing with the larger crew and budget when creating “Flow.”

“Basically, I wanted to tell a story of me making this film to kind of find that authenticity and honesty, which should feel kind of not manufactured, but that feels raw,” Zilbalodis said. “I’m trying to open myself up and maybe reveal something, just saying things that maybe I don’t want to share. But I think [the audience] can respond to that when you see a filmmaker who’s not hiding in their deepest feelings and kind of letting them out on the screen.” 

The conversation then continued with “I’m Still Here” director Salles. Set in 1970s Brazil, “I’m Still Here” follows the real life tragedy of the Paiva family, who lose their patriarch due to military dictatorship. 

Salles continued the narrative of intimacy within filmmaking and touched on his connection to the Paiva family, having visited their house frequently in his youth.

 “I was enamored by the light in that house. I was enamored by the humanity between the different groups of people that mingled in that space. And I was enamored by the fact that for that family to live with that intensity was a form of resistance during the military regime,” he said.       

Salles recounted the nostalgic elements of the film, such as the soundtrack, which played a large part in the thematic elements of the film, and the use of 35mm to match the era of the 1970s. Despite its taking place 50 years ago, the film is more prevalent than ever, with Salles stating that though the film focuses on the tragedies faced in Brazil during the military regime, it is more a story of human resilience. 

“Sometimes, we live moments where we think we can’t overcome, but there’s something that can come from the best that we have, the best that we have in our inner selves. And yes, we can overcome that. That is what the film embraces at the very end: we can overcome,” Salles said, earning a round of applause from the crowd. 

In connection to resilience, the next panelist, director of “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” Mohammad Rasoulof created a film inspired by his own experiences living under a tyrannical government. His film, which explores the political protests and paranoia in Iran, resulted in his arrest. Rasoulof fled Iran in 2024 and now lives in self-exile in Germany, the country that submitted Rasoulof’s work to the Academy.                                                                    

“When you live in a system of repression and dictatorship, and that system is constantly controlling every private aspect of your life, then being yourself becomes a challenge,” Rasoulof explained with the aid of a translator. “When I started making films, the first question I had was how to maintain my sense of self despite the repression and censorship … I made a conscious choice to tell stories the way stories were and to let go of metaphors and therefore let go of censorship. This allowed me to become closer to myself.”

“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” specifically follows the women’s rights movement in Iran as the main character in the film is an investigative judge and he struggles to control his two daughters who involve themselves in feminist protests. 

“The new generation in Iran has its look in the world and wants to have a modern approach, but the power structures and the groups that are now controlling the government are a minority that has its eye on the traditions and are trying to stay devoted to traditions,” Rasoulof explained. “A lot of times when people think they’re following their beliefs, they’re actually following their benefits,” he concluded. 

Finally, the discussion turned to Jacques Audiard. As Durling introduced him, a few audience members walked out from the front of the auditorium. Nonetheless, Audiard’s interview definitely had charm to it. Despite using a translator, Audiard’s personality shined through his cheeky remarks throughout his segment. “I really have to say I’m such an idiot when I make films,” he remarked. 

Following an underappreciated criminal lawyer, “Emilia Perez” follows a drug lord in Mexico looking to start a new life as a transgender woman. 

Despite Audiard not knowing how to speak Spanish, he was drawn to create the film due to the musicality of the language. Throughout his filmmaking career, Audiard acknowledged a string that connected his film canon: the theme of a second life. 

“We all know what the first life is. That’s the one that we’re living in right now. But what about the second life? And what will we have to sacrifice to benefit from that second life?” Audiard questioned. 

Audiard also took time to explain the technical challenges he experienced while shooting the film. During one musical number, Audiard explained he shot with two cameras, saying, “There was one on [Zoe Saldana] and the other one was from the side, moving around. And the fact is that we didn’t use a single image from that B camera in the movie. It was completely useless. It served no purpose.”

Audiard also explained some struggles he had with the depth of light while shooting scenes, for which he became apologetic to Rasoulof, stating, “I’m really kind of ashamed to talk about my first-world rich guy problems.”

Durling then moved into the group questions with all the directors coming back onto the stage, which were unfortunately cut short due to the time limit of the event. He proposed the question, “How did you think the global world would receive your films?”

Zilbalodis affirmed his idea of the importance of making something personal, saying, “If you can just make it for one person, you can reach something more global or universal.”

Salles answered that he believed the story needed to be shared with the world. Despite his country facing a double lockdown during COVID-19, he is happy to see the movie theaters still standing. 

“So many people went from different generations to see the reflection of themselves on the screen,” he said. “I think this is what nurtures us all here, to try to give a sense of who we were at a different time and share it collectively.” 

Though the other directors were not able to answer, Durling gave a wonderful ending to the event. He highlighted the ever-growing popularity of international films, especially in the Academy Awards. “I just see that there’s this major shift happening where we don’t need to have the best international features. We should celebrate cinema at large,” he said.

As the event ended, the audience gave a standing ovation to the panelists, who stood in gratitude as they saw the power of their work appreciated in the room. 

Although the International Directors Panel is not as popular as some of the other events during SBIFF, it is certainly an enriching experience. While actor retrospectives and award ceremonies are incredible events, as seeing one’s favorite celebrity in person can be a dream come true, exposure to the other roles people partake in films allows people to have a deeper appreciation for the arts. With every great performance, there is a greater director behind the curtain, meticulously crafting the film being given critical acclaim. 

Durling is right; cinema should be celebrated at large. But with that, directors, producers, designers and sound mixers should be given the recognition they deserve. We, as audience members, should do our diligence, and with that, our eyes will be opened to a new world beyond the one we see on our silver screen.