Seven films with Basque production to compete for the Irizar Basque Film Award

Fourteen Basque productions will feature in eight sections and programmes at San Sebastian Festival’s 65th Edition. Seven of these, world premieres at the Festival, will compete for the Irizar Basque Film Award.

The Zinemira section includes three competing titles. Eñaut Castagnet (Berria 10 urte, When I Was a Child) and Ximun Fuchs, founder of the theatre company Le Petit Théâtre de Pain, take their first steps in cinematic fiction with Non / No, narrating the struggle of the community in a small French town when a factory shuts down. Bi txirula, a voyage prompting reflection, is the fictional feature debut from Iñigo García Arrizabalaga, an architect by profession and author of short films including Big Boy dokumentala and Errusia. And the directors and producers of Pura vida (The Ridge, 2012) and Walls (2015), Pablo Iraburu, Migeltxo Molina (Pamplona, 1978) and Igor Otxoa (San Sebastián, 1973), direct Elkarrekin-Together, following an expedition of Basque archaeologists to a remote island on the east coast of the United States in search of evidence of the meeting and cooperation between Basque whalers and American natives. Elkarrekin-Together is the film chosen for screening at the Basque Film and ETB Gala.

Completing the section are two films participating out of competition: Converso / Conversus, the second film from David Arratibel (Oírse) and Nur eta herensugearen tenplua / Nur and the Temple of the Dragon, the last film directed by Juanba Berasategi (Pasaia, 1951-2017). Arratibel invites us to understand his family’s conversion to Catholicism through his film, winner of the Audience Award at the Punto de Vista Festival and of Best Documentary at the Malaga Festival. Berasategi directed this animated film based on the literary character created by the Basque author Toti Martínez de Lezea.

Two films in the Official Selection will compete for the Irizar Award: Morir / Dying, the second film by Fernando Franco (Seville, 1976) after La herida / Wounded, starring Marian Álvarez and Andrés Gertrudix, and Handia, directed by Aitor Arregi (Oñati, 1977) and Jon Garaño (San Sebastián, 1974), and starring Eneko Sagardoy, Joseba Usabiaga, Iñigo Aranburu, Ramon Agirre and Aia Kruse.

Other contenders for the Award are Operación Concha / Operation Golden Shell, directed by Antonio Cuadri (Trigueros, Huelva, 1960) and headlining Jordi Mollá, Karra Elejalde, Unax Ugalde, Ramon Agirre and Bárbara Goenaga, to be screened at the Velodrome.

The Irizar Award Jury will also consider Volar, part of the Other Activities programme. Directed by Bertha Gaztelumendi (Irun, 1962), who took her first steps in Zinemira with Mariposas en el hierro (2012), the work looks at nine women victims of domestic violence who spend a weekend together.

Furthermore, Koldo Almandoz (San Sebastián, 1973) repeats his presence in Zabaltegi-Tabakalera, having presented Sipo Phantasma / Ghost Ship last year. This time he brings a short film, Plágan / Plague, selected for Kimuak 2017, whose seven titles, like every year, will have a screening for professionals within the Festival framework.

Four Basque productions in the industry activities

Four Basque productions, three starting out, one almost finished, will also play a leading role at the Festival’s 65th edition, in the framework of the industry activities. In the Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, two projects at the incipient stage have Basque production. Akelarre / Witches' Sabbath, set in the Basque Country in 1609, which will be directed by Pablo Agüero (El Bolsón, Argentina, 1977), the maker of 77 Doronship (Zabaltegi-New Directors 2009) and Eva no duerme / Eva doesn't Sleep (Films in Progress 27 and Official Selection in 2015).

El doble más quince (Double plus Fifteen) is the latest project by Mikel Rueda (Bilbao, 1980). The author of Caminan (Zabaltegi-Tabakalera 2016 and Kimuak 2016), Nueva York. Quinta planta (New York. Fifth Floor, Zinemira 2016) and A escondidas (Hidden, Malaga Festival 2014) tells the tale of a woman and a teenager with 30 years between them.

The first edition of Glocal in Progress, the industry activity for European films shot in non-hegemonic languages, has selected Dantza, the new proposal from Telmo Esnal (Zarautz, 1967), who formerly presented at the Festival, with Asier Altuna, Aupa Etxebeste! (New Directors, 2005), Amona putz! (Zinemira - Basque Film Showcase 2009), Urte berri on, amona! (Happy New Year, Grandma!, Zabaltegi-New Directors 2011) and the short film Iraila, again with Altuna, within the collective project Kalebegiak.

Lastly selected in Ikusmira Berriak, the programme backing audiovisual projects organised jointly by the Festival and Tabakalera-International Centre for Contemporary Culture, is the proposal Las letras de Jordi / Jordi's Letters by Maider Fernández Iriarte, author with María Elorza of Gure hormek (Zabaltegi-Tabakalera 2016) and La chica de la luz, part of the omnibus film Kalebegiak (Velodrome 2016).

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Handia

Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño (Spain)

Competes for the Irizar Basque Film Award

Cast: Eneko Sagardoy, Joseba Usabiaga, Iñigo Aranburu, Ramon Agirre, Aia Kruse

Having fought in the First Carlist War, Martin returns to his family farm in Gipuzkoa only to find that his younger brother, Joaquín, towers over him in height. Convinced that everyone will want to pay to see the tallest man on Earth, the siblings set out on a long trip all over Europe, during which ambition, money and fame will forever change the family’s fate. A story based on true events.

Morir / Dying

Fernando Franco (Spain)

Competes for the Irizar Basque Film Award

Cast: Andrés Gertrúdix, Marian Álvarez

Special Screenings

The lives of Luis and Marta are abruptly paralysed. Lies, guilt and fear put the couple’s stability and love to the test.

ZABALTEGI - TABAKALERA

Plágan / Plague

Short film

Koldo Almandoz (Spain)

Plague: From the Latin plague ‘blow’, ‘wound’. Meaning: Massive and sudden appearance of living beings of a same species which cause serious damage to animal or plant populations. Abundance of something harmful.

ZINEMIRA

Section dedicated to Basque film organised by the San Sebastian Festival, the Basque Government Department of Culture and the Basque Film Archive; with the sponsorship of Irizar and EITB; and the collaboration of EPE/AVE, IBAIA and Zineuskadi.

Bi txirula

Iñigo Garcia Agirrezabalaga

Competes for the Irizar Basque Film Award

Cast: Jon Elizalde, Iker Hazas, Jon Garcia, Kandido Uranga, Amaia Goikoetxea

Two men are walking. They’re running away. They make their way through different landscapes in search of a more peaceful and warmer land. Like migratory birds, Bi txirula is a voyage where, apart from doing everything needed to survive (find food, sleep, find shelter.…), there is time to reflect on the possibility of another world.

Converso / Conversus

David Arratibel

Cast: Raúl del Toro, María Arratibel, Pilar Aranburo, Paula Tellechea

“Some instruments, like trumpets, make us think of courage. Others, like the flute, of sweetness. And there are others, like the organ, which steal the soul from the heavenly (Aristoteles). My whole family has turned to Catholicism. The distance between them was growing by the day, so I decided to make a film to understand how the Holy Spirit had entered their lives and, somehow, mine too. A film about fondness, absences, empty spaces and distances”. (David Arratibel)

Elkarrekin - Together

Migueltxo Molina, Pablo Iraburu, Igor Otxoa

Competes for the Irizar Basque Film Award

An expedition of Basque archaeologists travels to a remote island on the east coast of the United States. Ancient documents show that the spot was the setting of a story of meeting and cooperation between Basque whalers and American natives. Beneath the mist and amid a maze of stones and trees, we follow the members of the expedition in their search. If they find what they dream of, they’ll show that another world was possible, that another world is possible.

Non / No

Eñaut Castagnet, Ximun Fuchs

Competes for the Irizar Basque Film Award

During the labour reforms of 2016, in a small French town, the Radial company closes its doors after a bitter strike. Jeansé, Juliette, Bruno, Christine and Pierre meet to ‘celebrate’ their insulting redundancy pay-off. On the way home, Bruno has a violent scuffle at a police roadblock. Non is an anthology film about the contagious and furious protest by a group of workers. People absorbed by madness in the struggle to keep the little dignity they have left.

Nur eta herensugearen tenplua / Nur and the Dragon Temple

Juan Bautista Berasategi Luzuriaga

Nur moves with her parents to live in China. There she makes new friends and today she is about to celebrate the birthday of one of them, Guo Guo. They meet for the occasion at an immense amusement park; however, while playing they realise that the guest of honour has disappeared. Their search for the boy will lead them into a maze; to get out they must solve the mysteries as they come to them, thereby enabling them to make their way past the dragon at each of the nine doors.

ZINEMIRA KIMUAK

(FOR PROFESSIONALS AND ACCREDITED GUESTS ONLY)

The section will also include the selection of shorts in the Kimuak 2017 programme, an initiative of the Basque Government Department of Culture and Euskadiko Filmategia-Filmoteca Vasca with the objective of lending visibility to the best Basque shorts of the year. This year’s Kimuak selection includes seven short films.

Ab alio

Short film

Iñigo Royo, Iñigo Fernández Ostolaza

Zinemira Kimuak

Ab Alio is faithful to the quote by Augusto Monterroso that states: ''Hay tres temas: el amor, la muerte y las moscas'' (There are three topics: love, death and flies).

Aprieta pero raramente ahoga

Short film

David P. Sañudo

Zinemira Kimuak

Daniel goes to a job interview. If selected, he will be in charge of walking Siegfried, Cosme’s dog. But Siegfried is a fierce dog and, if the right instructions are not followed, he can become fearsome.

Areka

Short film

Atxur Animazio Taldea , Paula Huarte , Bego Vicario , Miriam Inza , Jugatx Astorkia , Itxaso Navarro , Beñat Barandika , Usue Egia , Esteban Ramos , Naiara Gallego , Sergio Martínez , Aitor Oñederra , Kote Camacho , Oihana LENnda , Arrate López , Izibene Oñederra , Alots Arregi , Andere Molinuevo , Ximon Agirre , Jon Munarriz , Zaloa Ipiña

Zinemira Kimuak

Euxebi’s father was killed during the Spanish civil war. In her youth, Euxebi suffered Francoist repression and, to this day, despite the fact that the dictatorship ended long ago, she has not had the change to recover the memory of her father. After many years, when they finally open the grave where her father is, Euxebi puts a picture next to his bones.

Euritan

Short film

Irati Gorostidi, Arantza Santesteban

Zinemira Kimuak

The film Euritan is a review of the narrative Klara eta biok, written by Itxaro Borda in 1985. Pitting the author against the words of her past, it updates her view on the peripheral relationship around the Basque character.

For The Good Times

Short film

Andrés Daniel Sainz

Zinemira Kimuak

On the birthday of the patriarch of the family, one of his sons decides to come out of the closet and test the tolerance of his nearest and dearest. But the surprises that he has up his sleeve do not end there.

La fiebre del oro

Short film

Raúl de la Fuente

Zinemira Kimuak

In Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, the poverty of the population and wealth of the subsoil remain irreconcilable, taking the lives of hundreds of miners. Did you know that your health also depends on their work?

Plágan / Plague

Short film

Koldo Almandoz

Zinemira Kimuak

Plague: From the Latin word plaga, 'blow', 'wound'. Meaning: Sudden mass appearance of living beings of the same species that cause serious damage to animal or plant populations. Abundance of something harmful.

VELODROME

Operación Concha / Operation Golden Shell

Antonio Cuadri (Spain - Mexico)

Competes for the Irizar Basque Film Award

Cast: Jordi Mollà, Karra Elejalde, Unax Ugalde, Ramon Agirre, Bárbara Goenaga, Bárbara Mori, Mara Escalante, Alosian Vivancos

Unscrupulous businessman Marcos Ruiz de Aldazábal is the head of a film production company gone bust. Desperate and penniless, Marcos and his team come up with a plan to hoodwink a millionaire investment company with a lookalike of prestigious actor Ray Silvela, who has declined the offer to work on their film. Making the most of the San Sebastian Festival, they set about contriving an enormous hoax where nothing is what it seems to be.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Volar

Bertha Gaztelumendi (Spain)

Competes for the Irizar Basque Film Award

Nine women, with a past of gender violence, spend a weekend together in the countryside, far from their everyday lives. Despite being women of different ages and professions, they understand one another with no need for words. They are united by the courage of having faced the hell of that violence, of having survived and also of having tried to give meaning to their suffering. And they convey their experience to other women and to society, without indulging in self-victimisation.

ZINEMIRA AWARD
Julia Juaniz

The Basque Film and ETB Gala, to take place on Tuesday, September 26, at the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, will be the setting for screening of the film Elkarrekin-Together and presentation of the Zinemira Award. This year’s honorary accolade, given by the San Sebastian Festival and the EPE/AVE and IBAIA producers associations to an outstanding personality from the world of Basque film, received in previous years by Imanol Uribe (2009), Álex Angulo (2010), Elías Querejeta (2011), Michel Gaztambide (2012) Juanba Berasategi (2013), Pedro Olea (2014), Karmele Soler (2015) and Ramón Barea (2016), will acknowledge the career of the film editor Julia Juaniz.

Since studying Medicine at the University of Zaragoza and Photography at the Spectrum Gallery, Julia Juaniz (Arellano, Navarre, 1956) has edited more than 60 productions by directors such as Carlos Saura (Taxi, Pajarico, Tango, Goya en Burdeos / Goya in Bordeaux, Buñuel y la mesa del rey Salomón / Buñuel and King Solomon’s Table, El 7º día / The 7th Day, Io, Don Giovanni), Víctor Erice (Alumbramiento), Daniel Calparsoro (Guerreros / Warriors, Asfalto / Asphalt), Mercedes Álvarez (El cielo gira / The Sky Turns), Rafael Gordon (Todo mujer, La reina Isabel en persona / Queen Isabel in Person), Ramón Barea (El coche de pedales, Pecata minuta), Alberto Morais (Un lugar en el cine, La madre) or Inés París (Miguel y William), and by young Basque filmmakers including Alberto Gorritiberea (Arriya /The Stone), Jabi Elortegi (Zorion perfektua), Pedro Aguilera (Naufragio) and Arantza Ibarra (Zigortzaileak / Los castigadores).

Her filmography also includes works as a short filmmaker, such as Traintime (1991), winner of the Basque Film Grand Prix at the Bilbao Film Festival; El vuelo de Dora Salazar about the artist from Altsasua (2011); El grito de Guernica (2012); Mankind (2012), chosen for the Lars von Trier project Gesamt; and El lenguaje de los objetos (2013), about the artist Marijose Recalde.

She has received two Goya nominations for Best Editing, one for Goya en Burdeos (Goya in Bordeaux, 2006) and the other for Iberia (2005), also having won Spain’s Círculo de Críticos Cinematográficos Award for El cielo gira (2004).

Many of her films feature in the annals of the San Sebastian Festival: El tiempo de Neville (Zabaltegi, 1991), Urte ilunak / Los años oscuros (New Directors, 1993), Taxi (Official Selection, 1996), Muerto de amor (Zabaltegi, 1996), La fabulosa historia de Diego Martín (Basque Film Day, 1996), Pecata minuta (Zabaltegi, 1998), Time’s Up! (Zabaltegi-New Directors, 2000), Buñuel y la mesa del rey Salomón (Official Selection opening film, 2001), El 7º día (Made in Spain, 2004), Cosmos (New Directors, 2007), El cielo gira (Made in Spain, 2005), Fados (Zabaltegi-Pearls, 2007), Un lugar en el cine (Basque Film Day, 2008), Zorion perfektua (Zabaltegi-New Directors, 2009), Arriya / The Stone (Zinemira – Basque Film Showcase, 2011) and Naufragio (Zinemira – Basque Film Showcase, 2011).

Her work as an artist in the fields of photography, video art and painting on negative film was the subject of the exhibitions Spanish Artists in Daegu (2013, South Korea), Ver con los ojos y el alma (La Neomudéjar, 2014), Abrir mundos (Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, 2015), Alas-Hegoak (Arms Room at the Citadel in Pamplona, 2015), Sueños (La Alhóndiga, Segovia, 2016) and Emakumearen Eremua, el espacio de la mujer (La Neomudéjar, 2017). Her work has also shown in Russia (Now&After), Mexico (Casa Buñuel) and Ethiopia (AVAF Festival, Ethiopian Videoart).

Julia Juaniz has taught editing at the different film universities and schools. She is a member of the European Film Academy and of the Spanish Film Academy executive board as head of editing.

She is currently editing the Spanish-North American feature film Trading Paint, by Karzan Kader, starring John Travolta, Michael Madsen and Shania Twain, after completing the films Bent, written and directed by Bobby Moresco (producer of Crash and Million Dollar Baby), starring Sofía Vergara and Andy García; Finding Steve McQueen, by the filmmaker Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil), starring Travis Fimmel (Vikings) and Rachael Taylor (Transformers); and Black Butterfly by the filmmaker Brian Goodman (What Doesn't Kill You), starring Donostia Award-winner Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point).

BASQUE FILM AND ETB GALA

Elkarrekin - Together

Migueltxo Molina, Pablo Iraburu, Igor Otxoa

INDUSTRY CLUB

EUROPE-LATIN AMERICA CO-PRODUCTION FORUM

Akelarre / Witches' Sabbath

Pablo Agüero (Spain - France)

El doble más quince / Double Plus Fifteen

Mikel Rueda (Spain)

GLOCAL IN PROGRESS

Dantza

Telmo Esnal (Spain)

Based on symbols and metaphors from Basque dances, Dantza is an imaginative musical film about the cycle of life and the development of society. Dance is used to deal with universal subjects in this film: amongst other things, survival, beliefs, celebrations, love and the never-ending struggle against death. The simple, clear narrative is backed up by songs, movement and rhythm.

IKUSMIRA BERRIAK

Las letras de Jordi / Jordi's Letters

Maider Fernández Iriarte (Spain)

BAC category

"Jordi was born 51 years ago with cerebral palsy. He doesn't consider himself as a handicapped person. Even though he isn't able to speak, he tries to communicate using his cardboard. That's the way he talks to me. When he was 21, he felt God talking to him for the first time. However, today, after leaving his parent's home and moving to a residence, he doesn't feel God anymore. He is empty by his silence. This film is about the the love of God and the speech of a free man". (Maider Fernández Iriarte)

FILMS SPOKEN PARTIALLY OR TOTALLY IN BASQUE

AKELARRE (WITCHES' SABBATH), by Pablo Agüero (Europe-Latin-america Latina Co-production Forum)
AREKA, by Atxur Animazio Taldea (Zinemira-Kimuak)
BI TXIRULA, by Iñigo Garcia Agirrezabalaga (Zinemira)
DANTZA,by Telmo Esnal (Glocal in Progress)
ELKARREKIN - TOGETHER, by Migueltxo Molina, Pablo Iraburu and Igor Otxoa (Zinemira – BASQUE FILM AND ETB GALA)
EURITAN, by Irati Gorostidi and Arantza Santesteban (Zinemira-Kimuak)
HANDIA, by Aitor Arregi and Jon Garaño (Official Selection)
NUR ETA HERENSUGEAREN TENPLUA, by Juan Bautista Berasategi (Zinemira)

CHILDREN'S FILMS DUBBED INTO BASQUE

A selection of films made for children will be screened dubbed into Basque, with the collaboration of Zineuskadi as part of the Zinema Euskaraz programme.

In addition, the Velodrome will host the screening every morning of the film The Little Prince by Mark Osborne dubbed into Basque and Spanish.

FROG KINGDOM (IGELAREN ERRESUMA), by Shin Nelson
LILLA SPÖKET LABAN / LABAN THE LITTLE GHOST (LABAN, MAMU TXIKIA. A ZER BELDURRA!), by Alicja Jaworski, Karin Nilsson, Lasse Persson and Per Åhlin
OZZI by Alberto Rodríguez and Nacho La Casa
PIXI POST ETA OPARI-EMAILEAK (PIXI POST AND THE GIFT BRINGERS) by Gorka Sesma
SNEZHNAYA KOROLEVA 2. SNEZHNYY KOROL / THE SNOW QUEEN 2 (ORM ELURRETAKO ERRESUMAN), by Aleksey Tsitsilin
THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE (BATMAN LEGO FILMA), by Chris McKay

FILMS IN OTHER SECTIONS WITH BASQUE SUBTITLES

HORIZONTES LATINOS

ARÁBIA / ARABY, by Affonso Uchôa and João Dumans

ZABALTEGI-TABAKALERA

12 JOURS / 12 DAYS, by Raymond Depardon
BRAGUINO, by Clément Cogitore
GEU-HU / THE DAY AFTER, by Hong Sang-soo
L'AMANT D'UN JOUR / LOVER FOR A DAY, by Philippe Garrel
TESNOTA / CLOSENESS, by Kantemir Balagov
VISAGES, VILLAGES / FACES, PLACES, by Agnès Varda and JR

PEARLS

HAPPY END, by Michael Haneke
JUSQU'À LA GARDE / CUSTODY, by Xavier Legrand
NELYUBOV / LOVELESS, by Andrey Zvyagintsev
SANDO-ME NO SATSUJIN / THE THIRD MURDER, by Hirokazu Koreeda
TESTRÖL ÉS LÉLEKRÖL / ON BODY AND SOUL, by Ildikó Enyedi

CULINARY ZINEMA

Four films with basque electronic subtitles will participate in this section. The titles will be announced on friday.

SAVAGE CINEMA

TAKE EVERY WAVE: THE LIFE OF LAIRD HAMILTON, by Rory Kennedy
PARADIGM LOST, by John DeCesare

ZINEMIRA

ELKARREKIN - TOGETHER, by Migueltxo Molina, Pablo Iraburu and Igor Otxoa
NON / NO, by Eñaut Castagnet and Ximun Fuchs

JOSEPH LOSEY

ACCIDENT
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THE PROWLER
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