Zaragoza International Historical Film Festival kicks off its program today with two special screenings at the Cine Cervantes (C. del Marqués de Casa Jiménez, 2): ‘Mudayán’ (6:00 p.m.) and ‘El Patio de la Infanta’ (9:00 p.m.).
These are two documentary films that showcase Zaragoza and its rich architectural, historical, and cultural heritage, and which will premiere as part of the Saraqusta Film Festival. As festival director José Ángel Delgado explains, “The fact that these feature-length documentaries are being shown for the first time at the festival fills us with pride, as both works perfectly embody the spirit of Saraqusta: learning from the past, revisiting history, and enjoying high-quality audiovisual work. It is even more special on this occasion because both films are about Zaragoza and show us, across two distinct eras, the great artistic and cultural legacy the city has possessed throughout the ages—which is one of the festival’s core objectives.”
Mudayán: The Golden Age of the Taifa of Saraqusta
‘Mudayán’ delves into a little-known era of prosperity, the Golden Age of the Taifa of Saraqusta. A period in which Zaragoza was an artistic, scientific, commercial, and cultural powerhouse, with notable figures such as the king of the Taifa of Zaragoza, al-Mutamán, and the Zaragoza philosopher Avempace.
Produced by Iris Ladrero and Carlos Lorenzo, with screenplay, editing, and direction by Cristina Gálvez and Javier Alvero, the documentary features interviews with numerous scholars of the period to reconstruct an era that left its mark on science, Mudejar art, folklore, and even gastronomy.
The documentary features contributions from researchers and specialists in various fields, including Javier Bona, Jaime Carbonel, José Luis Cortés, Miriam Gracia, Elvira Jiménez, Magdalena Lasala, Fernando Malo, Loli Puértolas, Sergio Martínez, Silvia Molina, Francho Nagore, Javier Peña, Eduardo Solanas, and Victoria Trasobares. Moroccan singer-songwriter Nabyla Maan and Carmen París provide the soundtrack, alongside compositions by Alejandro Monserrat and La Cantante Solitaria.
‘El Patio de la Infanta’: Five Centuries of History
‘El Patio de la Infanta’, produced by the Ibercaja Foundation in collaboration with Factoría Henneo (2025) and directed by Luis Galán, with historical content supervision by Magdalena Lasala.
Filmed in Zaragoza, Madrid, and Paris, the feature film combines documentary rigor with elements of fiction. Following in the footsteps of a young art historian who returns to Zaragoza, her hometown, in search of inspiration for her final thesis, she discovers in the Patio de la Infanta a journey that will take her, alongside experts and historical reenactments, through nearly five centuries of history—from its Renaissance splendor, its connection to the Enlightenment, and its exile in Paris, to its survival and return. A universal reflection on memory, uprooting, cultural transmission, and the ability of symbols to survive the centuries.
The documentary features interviews with Guillermo Fatás, Jacinto Gil, Carmen Morte García, Honorio Romero, Domingo Buesa, Eduardo Montagut, Arturo Colorado, Manuel Francisco Reina, Micaela Pérez, and Amado Franco. It also features appearances by actors and actresses Sara Vidorreta, Claudia Siba, Alba Gallego, Laura Torrijos-Bescós, Ricardo Joven, Laura Contreras, and David Diestre.
Tickets and passes at special prices
This year, the 15-euro pass includes, in addition to admission to the 10 screenings of the films in competition, access to the closing gala and the cocktail reception. They can be purchased through the festival’s website, saraqustafilmfestival.com. Individual tickets to view the films in competition are also available for 4.5 euros. The panel discussions, Aragonese documentaries, audiovisual presentations from ‘Panorama Saraqusta’, and special screenings will be free of charge until capacity is reached, subject to prior online reservation on the festival website.
About Saraqusta Film Festival
Saraqusta Film Festival is co-organized by the Zaragoza City Council and Cosmos Fan, with support from the Government of Aragon as an institutional partner, the Ibercaja Foundation as the main partner, and Carné Joven de Aragón, Aragón Alimentos, and Ara Film Fest as collaborators.