San Sebastian Basque section boasts five world premieres

Non-fiction films dominate this year’s selection, which highlights key local Basque films. Gutierrez’s The Music Square is his fifth film to appear at San Sebastian and follows the director’s attempts to understand how and why his mother died of asbestos poisoning.

The other world premieres are Nacho Reig’s film Amerikanuak about Basque immigrants living in the small community of Elko in Nevada, USA; Eneko Dorronsoro’s Ttaup, Ttaup, The Beating Of The Oars about the preparations for the annual rowing boat race in Zumaia; and two films from directors Txaber Larreategi and Josu Martínez titled To Remember Is Forbidden about a group of people desperate to find out what happened to the inmates at the Saturraran women’s prison during the Spanish Civil War, and Apple Time, 25 Years Of Exile about a couple torn apart by their allegiance to the Basque separatist movement.

The remaining films areall fictional. They are Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga’s drama For 80 Days about a 70-year-old woman who accidentally meets an old school friend at the hospital and strikes up a very intimate relationship with her; Fernando Bernués and Mireia Gabilondo’s Mugaldekoak, a 1940s set drama which revolves around the evacuation through France and Spain of British pilots shot down in enemy territory; and Jon Andueza’s Simply about a group of dancers who decide to conduct a performance on the beach.

San Sebastian will also be presenting at this year’s festival the Zinemira award to Basque actor Álex Angulo for his achievements in film.  

Angulo’s film career began with La Fuga De Segovia (1981), directed by Imanol Uribe, and includes Alex De La Iglesia’s The Day Of The Beastfor which he was awarded a best actor Goya nomination. He will be present at this year’s festival to promote his latest film The Great Vázquez (El Gran Vázquez), directed by Óscar Aibar, which is in official selection.