13/11/2024 - We take a detailed look at the four Basque projects that were pitched at the event freshly held in Bilbao, which were vying for a €15,000 prize

Boasting a new venue this year in the guise of AS Fabrik, a university located slap bang in the middle of an island in the Nervión River, the entirety of which is currently getting a major facelift, the seventh edition of Zinebi Networking has just taken place in Bilbao. The two competitions (one for national projects, the other for Basque ones) showcase upcoming films in development or production, whose teams are hoping to scoop the €15,000 award in their respective section (see the news). Here, we take a closer look at all four of the Basque projects that were pitched.

Ante ti mi sombra – Natxo Leuza
Producer: Nagore Eceiza (El Santo Films SL)
It doesn’t take much imagination to figure out why it’s one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: Pakistani workers in Gadani break up old ships, forcefully ripping them apart and constantly being exposed to dangerous conditions and toxic materials. Director and scriptwriter Nacho Leuza (El Drogas [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) has an extensive background in documentary circles and went to Gadani to film and live with these men who, with no rigid rules to adhere to, take their lives in their hands every day. “Without really knowing why, they await a signal, a response, a horizon to enable them to catch their dreams,” goes the director’s statement. For Leuza, the best part of the process so far has been living with the workers and getting to know the different personalities of these men who suffer but show utter resilience. He wants the film to be a “visceral experience” for viewers, and his hope is that it will enable us to see the beauty even in the ugliest of places. A 70-minute cut of the film is ready, and a second visit to Pakistan is planned. A final cut should be ready by November 2025. The team is mainly looking for distributors.

Irailak 27 – Izaskun Arandia
Producer: Izaskun Arandia (IZAR Film Europe SL)
Izaskun Arandia delves into the dark corners of her family history with Irailak 27. The 80-minute film looks back at the Spanish Civil War via a mystery surrounding the disappearance of her great-grandfather, Miguel, which was shrouded in silence for decades by her family members. In 2018, DNA tests on human remains confirmed they belonged to Miguel and shed some light on the circumstances of his death. This prompted the questions: why did he leave, and how did he die? With this documentary, Arandia wishes to heal the wounds in her family that this whole episode in history has created. The movie will talk about death in order to celebrate life. Divided into three visually distinct parts (a motor-home road trip with her father, a family meal where she will capture the reactions of her family members to the material she presents, and rehearsals by an amateur theatre group), the documentary will be complemented by archive images from the Spanish Civil War for added immersion in the era in question. With 25% of the budget secured, the team is now looking for financing, co-producers, sales agents and broadcasters.

Y así seguirán las cosas - Marina Palacio
Producers: Garazi Elorza Vadillo, Gariza Films
Marina Palacio has come up with an innovative way to make a documentary: shooting it backwards. With two years of a six-year shoot left to go, she is at a fascinating point in a process in which she zooms in on a group of children, and particularly Germán, the only kid left in a depopulated village in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by endless fields. With the first summertime period she filmed set to serve as the final section of the film, and the last tranche of shooting, still to come, eventually serving as the first chapter, the documentary will provide a backwards look at depopulation in the Spanish countryside, as all of Germán’s friends gradually return to the area. The teaser trailer, featuring a striking scene of a makeshift theatre in the middle of a parched field, provided a tantalising glimpse at this journey towards Germán’s childhood. Why the choice to narrate the story backwards? According to the director, the result should be more emotionally powerful for the audience. It is intended to be a universal story, rather than an anthropological study of rural life. The team is looking for co-producers.

Correspondencias para habitar el mundo - Laura Gabay
Producers: Vania Jaikin Miyazaki, Eugenia Olascuaga
The starting point for this film was a violent event: a homophobic and misogynistic attack on a London night bus in 2019 that gained media attention worldwide. Laura Gabay, a friend of Melania, one of the victims, is now working a documentary that explores the assault and its ramifications, making use of raw audio recordings that the victim sent her in the wake of the assault. Interestingly, the story will be told from the director’s point of view, and the film will constitute a kind of experimental recreation of the crime, divided into three parts: the titular correspondence between the director and her friend; a short section on the crime itself (depicted in an abstract form); and a physical meeting between the two women in Uruguay. A third character will appear in the guise of Uruguayan poet Cristina Peri Rossi and her poems, which run through the film and contribute other meanings. A 50-minute cut has been completed, but Gabay is still experimenting with the form and is doing all of the editing herself. She is looking for a Spanish producer and additional crew, particularly an editor.