Lorenzo J. Torres Hortelano was born in Altea (Alicante, Spain, 1970). In 1995 he got his Degree in Audio-visual Communication and in 2005 he got his PhD in Film and Communication Studies with a thesis on Ozu's Banshun, both at Complutense University of Madrid. From 2005 he is a Tenured Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) at the Department of Audio-visual Communication and Sociology of Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid (URJC). Vice-Dean of University Extension and International Relationships at Faculty of Audio-visual Communication (URJC, 2017-present). He teaches Analysis and Film Theory, Audio-visual Story and Audio-visual Genres.
How did you react when you first heard about the idea of They: Live Project?
It was in the summer of 2019 when I began to take an interest in the Creative Europe Programme. I found it very original, because of the mix of photography, oral history, and contextual art; but above all, because of its focus on student’s life. This is why I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of this fantastic project.
Did your University have previous experience in digital archiving of this kind and how do you see the importance of this project for improving the archiving techniques?
No, this is the first time, but we have a lot of experience in the area of Fine Arts and Audio-Visual Communication. We have also participated in other art projects in Creative Europe (Delyramus: Music, Luthiers and Mental Health). I believe that this project can be a very important opportunity for trying new techniques, since our methodology is very original, and re-values the entire aspect, that of the life of students, which is, in a way, still unexplored from the perspective we take.
How do you see the role of the King Huan Carlos University in this project – what do you see as your most important contribution to the project?
The King Huan Carlos University can contribute mainly to four aspects: first, the experience in the field of academic publishing with prestigious publishers, which will be important for the final publication of the book that will collect all the activities. Secondly, since being a relatively new university – very integrated into the social fabric and spread throughout the community of Madrid – both its managers and its students are eager to participate in such international projects. In addition, we have a good critical mass, since we are the second largest university in Madrid in terms of the number of students. Thirdly, the King Huan Carlos University has a lot of experience in managing international projects, both as a partner and a coordinator. Finally, we provide different content and sensitivities to the audience in Western Balkans countries, which is the largest area of influence of this project.
The King Huan Carlos University has five campuses: Alcorcón, Aranjuez, Fuenlabrada, Madrid and Móstoles. Did you have any experience with any of these campuses during your studies and how was it like being there in your student days? What comes to your mind when you see old campus photos?
No, I studied at the Complutense University of Madrid. In fact, the King Huan Carlos University did not exist when I was a student, because it was created in the 1990s. That is why, in our case, we will expand the search for photographs, especially those from the first decades, the 50s, the 60s, etc., into all public campuses from any of the universities from Madrid. Be that as it may, it was one of the best times of my life, and I was proud of being a Complutensestudent, especially considering that it was a great financial effort for my parents and that they were not able to have the same experience.