Like every Monday, October 30th, I opened the computer and was ready to type for this newspaper. It had just been announced that Ana Belén and the Javis would present the Goya, so I decided to dedicate the column to them. I wrote – sorry for quoting myself -: “Making the Goyas is a poisoned gift. And not a gift. Every year, those of us who follow it have (little) confidence that it will turn out well, but almost always everything ends well. It's like falling in love. It doesn't just depend on one person – not even if it were like that.” Nevertheless, the announcement of their names – that's what the text was about – gave reason for hope: “But if anyone can land on their feet, it's the Javis and Ana Belén.” In the end it’s like falling in love. “Sometimes it works.”
Hours after I submitted this column and hours before it was published, I received a call. It was Ángel Custodio from Gestmusic. He offered me to be part of the script team for the Goya Gala. The Javis recommended me, I can never thank them enough. I wouldn't do it alone, but I still couldn't figure out who else, the academy had to approve us. I had never written a gala before, I knew I needed someone to do it. My dream partner was Pilar de Francisco. I didn't know her personally, but her wonderful work at the Feroz Galas confirmed her. A week later I received another call: confirmed. And my partner would be Pilar. At this point I began to fantasize about asking heaven for a million euros and holding out my hand in case a check came my way. But I liked something better, one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
A few meetings and spin-offs later, the first script reading followed. Knowing Ana Belén is such a privilege. And the crucial lesson I learned is that one of the most talented women I've ever seen has to live with her own insecurities. And in no time we were in Valladolid. The rehearsals, the equipment, the countdown.
The Javis let the Goyas dream of their dream gala. I looked at mine. Just like when they acknowledged the galas they had watched from home, the same ones that fueled my vocation as a screenwriter. I was completely wrong: it wasn't a poisoned gift, it was one of the most beautiful of my life. In the end it was like falling in love. Sometimes things go well.
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