PRODUCTION / FUNDING Spain / Belgium
Igor Legarreta directs his third film, Blind Ants
- The historical survival thriller based on the book of the same name by Ramiro Pinilla stars Urko Olazabal, Itziar Ituño, Josean Bengoetxea, Patxi Bisquert and Carlos Santos
On 13 March, filming began on Blind Ants, the third feature film directed by Igor Legarreta (When You No Longer Love Me, Ilargi Guztiak. Todas las lunas), which will last until mid-May across locations in Bilbao, Elorrio, Galdakao, Getxo, Gorliz, Sagasta and Mundaka, combining natural landscapes with large sets.
The historical survival thriller stars Urko Olazabal (winner of the Goya for Best Supporting Actor for Maixabel), Itziar Ituño (the series Money Heist, this year in Pheasant Island), Josean Bengoetxea (the series Cristóbal Balenciaga, this year in Jone, Sometimes and Pheasant Island), Miren Gaztañaga (The Last Romantics), Unax Hayden (20,000 Species of Bees) and Patxi Bisquert (recently in Irati), plus the special collaboration of Carlos Santos (Goya winner for Smoke & Mirrors, recently in the mini-series 1992), Dani Cabrera, Kimetz Etxabe, Markel Martínez, Anuk Puértolas and Elena Uriz.
Written in Basque by the director and Andoni de Carlos (Goya for Giant), it is based on the novel Las ciegas hormigas by Ramiro Pinilla (Premio Nadal literary prize 1961). It tells the story of how, in Bizkaia in 1935, a heavy storm caused an English ship to run aground, carrying tons of coal. During the night, the residents of the municipality of Algorta flock to the coast to salvage the ‘black gold’. Sabas Jauregui (played by Urko Olazabal) sees it as a stroke of luck, while his wife, Josefa (Itziar Ituño), sees it as a bad omen. Ignoring her pleas, Sabas their children into the raging storm. The family will go to unimaginable lengths to protect the coal that could either save them from winter or doom them forever.
Legarreta says, “ever since I read Ramiro Pinilla's novel, I have wanted to bring to the big screen this passionate story full of humanism, about resilience in the face of adversity and the eternal struggle for human survival. The film will be a tragic, rural western with great characters, a historical drama set against the backdrop of the current issue of energy poverty.”
Before his two aforementioned feature films, Legarreta directed several short films such as El trabajo (1999, Jury Prize at the Locarno and Montpellier film festivals) and El Gran Zambini (2005). He also co-wrote the feature film Autómata, among others. He recently directed six episodes of the series Operación Marea Negra.
Blind Ants is a production by Bruja del Norte Films A.I.E, Lamia Producciones, LaZona Zinema, LaZona Producciones, Sideral Cinema and Buendía Estudios Bizkaia; in co-production with Caviar Films (Belgium). Iker Ganuza, Pablo Barinaga and Luis Ferrón are its executive producers. It also has the participation of EiTB and Atresmedia; with the collaboration of the Department of Culture and Linguistic Policy of the Basque Government, the Government of Navarre and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia; and financing from Elkargi, S.G.R. and Kutxabank. It will be released in Spanish cinemas with distribution by Buena Vista International.
(Translated from Spanish)
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