Santiago Segura promotes Torrente Presidente, a film that has grossed nearly 8 million at the box office. In an interview, the director joked about his Goya awards, stating that the next one will be the Honorary when he is octogenarian, although he confesses that he would like to receive one before. Regarding the film's content, Segura explains that its satire targets the political class in general, without sides. He cited the former socialist minister José Luis Ábalos as an example, pointing out similarities with his character and the damage of corruption in the left.
The rendering of political satire: script algorithms and visual effects 🎬
The construction of a visual satire like that of Torrente requires a defined technical pipeline. In the pre-production phase, the script works with an algorithmic logic, identifying and exaggerating real political behavior patterns to create the parody. In the post-production phase, visual effects and color grading are used to give that hyperbolic and grotesque tone characteristic. Technology not only generates explosions, but accentuates the caricatured features of the characters and environments, creating a distorted reality that reflects the excesses of power.
"Torrente" Mode: configuring your political candidacy with corruption DLCs 🎮
If politics is a game, Segura shows us the definitive build. His character seems to run software with all the DLCs of wastefulness and cronyism installed. The tutorial skips straight to the lesson on how to justify extravagant expenses. And what is an evident bug for the public –corruption–, in the game code it appears as a standard feature of the Basic Power package. In the end, the player wonders if they need an ethics update or simply a complete system format.