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Alexander Payne Shares His Love of Film in an Inspiring Master Class

Omar Sosa

As part of the 22nd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), acclaimed American director Alexander Payne, President of this year's Mexican Feature Film Jury, offered a master class for the movie enthusiasts in attendance.

The event was presented by Daniela Michel, founder and director of the festival, and moderated by Alonso Díaz de la Vega, film critic and member of the FICM selection committee.

“I want to sincerely thank Alexander Payne for being here in Morelia, it's a dream come true,” said Daniela Michel as the audience welcomed the director with a standing ovation.

Early in the conversation, Díaz de la Vega praised Payne: “I really like what you do in terms of rescuing the classic values of cinema. I think that before anything else you are a spectator and a cinephile.”

The talk revolved around Payne's passion for film, a key influence on contemporary cinema in the U.S. “Preserving and restoring film is extremely important, because it's not about cinema, it's about our human heritage,” Payne emphasized in his opening remarks, underscoring his deeply humanistic perspective on the seventh art.

The director shared with the audience how he has been in love with cinema since he was a child, especially with the old films he saw on television or in retrospectives. Over time, his fascination expanded beyond just being a spectator, declaring his deep appreciation for the vast cinematic universe.

“There's a thirst for cinema everywhere,” Payne commented, referring to the growing presence of movie theaters, even in small towns. He is the co-founder of Film Streams, a non-profit organization in Omaha, Nebraska, dedicated to fostering film dialogue and education in his community.

The director also expressed his concern about the lack of critical education about cinema: “In schools, we educate people to read and analyze literature, but we lack education in the far more common means of communicating that is cinema,” he said, noting that this lack contributes to cultural hegemony.

When asked by Díaz de la Vega about the relationship between what he sees and what he creates, Payne replied, “My tastes in cinema have nothing to do with the films I make, except in a humanistic sense." This humanism drives his taste for films that delight and elicit laughter. Because, according to Payne, it makes them more real.

“Life is not like that, life is not a single tone,” he said, referring to his preference for films with a wide tonal range. “Film is the most truthful mirror of our experience, it has movement and time,” Payne explained, emphasizing that for him it is essential that films connect with people's lives and not with fantasies.

For Payne, film is a transformative experience to be enjoyed in community. For this reason, he emphasized the importance of preserving screening spaces and the tradition of attending movie theaters. He also stressed the importance of supporting national cinematographies, as they are a reflection of the culture and stories of each country.

Regarding Mexican cinema, which he has witnessed as president of the jury, he humorously commented: “I am happy to inform you that the patient is alive, and very much so.” The director was enthusiastic and optimistic about the quality of cinema being made in Mexico.

Payne spoke briefly about his creative process, describing it as initially irrational. It is only when it is time to produce that he begins to think rationally, to cut and edit the story until it is humanly producible. For him, authentic filmmaking is born out of the ability to observe and inform. Being aware of what surrounds us, seeing it with critical eyes and knowing how to tell it is fundamental to making a good film.

The audience was delighted with the master class, in which Payne shone with his unique humor and a palpable humanity in every word.

Watch Alexander Payne's full master class.