This March, Instituto Cervantes de Manila is presenting the online film series “Carlos Saura, Goya de Honor”, to give tribute to one of the most important contemporary Spanish filmmakers. The films will be shown through the Instituto Cervantes channel on the Vimeo platform (vimeo.com/institutocervantes) and will be freely accessible for 48 hours from their start date and time.
The recently deceased Carlos Saura (1932-2023) was arguably, together with Luis Buñuel, Luis García Berlanga, and Pedro Almodóvar, one of the most international filmmakers of Spanish cinema. His work spans more than sixty years and is marked by the investigation of visual and plastic limits in the seventh art. Cinema has accompanied Saura in his passion for rethinking traditional Spanish culture and placing it in the present while projecting his artistic personality into the future.
The series, which comprises of four iconic films in Carlos Saura’s career, will kick off on 4 March, Saturday, with the screening of La caza (freely available for 48 hours through the link https://vimeo.com/794410731). Released in 1966, the movie is reputed one of the main masterpieces of Spanish cinema. It is about four friends who go on a hunt, but tensions arise among them and all hell breaks loose, seemingly echoing a battle that took place in the same site during the Civil War.
The film series will continue on 11 March, with the drama Bodas de sangre (1981). Based on the works of Federico García Lorca, this film combines an exquisite flamenco ballet to narrate the sorrowful story of a bride who, on the same day of her wedding, escapes with her lover, and ends up being persecuted by her supposed-to- be husband and her family. (Link to the movie: https://vimeo.com/794481909).
On March 18, you can catch the film Goya en Burdeos (1999), a biopic of Francisco de Goya, who was exiled in Bordeaux in his advanced age, with his latest lover and his daughter Rosario. In his deathbead he recalls the best moments of his life, as though the film were taking us on a walk through it. (Link to the movie: https://vimeo.com/796563637).
Finally, on March 25, the film cycle closes with Iberia (2005), a beautiful documentary based on the musical piece Iberia by Albéniz, which follows the rehearsals and performances of dancers, choreographers, and musicians, all great artists in the world of contemporary flamenco, including Sara Baras. (Link to the movie: https://vimeo.com/795545160).
The films, presented by Instituto Cervantes in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, will be in Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is free. For further information and updates on this film series, please check out Instituto Cervantes’ Facebook site or the event page.
For further information about the cultural program of Instituto Cervantes please visit Instituto Cervantes’ website, or follow Instituto Cervantes on social media (Facebook: InstitutoCervantesManila; Instagram: institutocervantesmanila).
