Four Spanish films to vie for Golden Shell
As every year, bit by bit the line-up is starting to be revealed with the titles competing in Official Selection at the San Sebastian Film Festival, whose 58th edition will run this year from September 17-25. The first to be announced are four Spanish productions which will vie for the coveted Golden Shell.
The four titles, all produced by Catalan companies, are José María de Orbe’s Aita, Judith Colell and Jordi Cadena’s Elisa K, Agustí Villaronga’s Black Bread, and Oscar Aibar’s The Great Vázquez. This selection of works certainly fall into the category of uncompromising auteur cinema, even bordering on the experimental. Perhaps the only surprise choice is Aibar’s film, which also has considerable popular appeal.
Aita is produced by the King Midas of experimental auteur cinema, Lluís Miñarro, who with his company Eddie Saeta this year scooped the Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary for The Mosquito Net (see news) and the Cannes Palme d’Or for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (for which he acted as minority co-producer – see news). This latest production, the second feature by one of Spain’s most distinctive directors, De Orbe, is both a personal and collective story set in an old empty house.
Meanwhile, Elisa K, produced by Oberon Cinematografica, is the first film to be jointly directed by Judith Colell (53 Winter Days, 2006) and Jordi Cadena (The Aspern Papers – 1991). Based on Lolita Bosch’s novel Elisa Kiseljak, the drama centres on a young woman who is struck by the memory of an event that happened 14 years ago.
Villaronga will present Black Bread, produced by Massa d'Or and TVC. Based on a novel by Catalan author Emili Teixidor, this drama unfolds in 1940s rural Spain. This is the third time the Majorcan director has taken part in the Basque event, where he previously presented In a Glass Cage (1986) and Aro Tolbukhin in the Mind of a Killer (2002).
Finally, Aibar’s fourth feature El Gran Vázquez is produced by Distinto Films, Castafiore Films and Tornasol Films (Gerardo Herrero’s company, who this year won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar with The Secret In Their Eyes [+see also:
trailer
making of
Interview Juan José Campanella [IT]
Interview Ricardo Darín [IT]
Interview Soledad Villemin [IT]
film profile] – see news). Inspired by the life of comic strip artist Vázquez, it stars multifaceted actor Santiago Segura (who is also currently shooting the fourth instalment of popular saga Torrente).
(Translated from Spanish)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
