The documentary in competition, Antonio, el bailarín de España (Antonio, Spain’s Dancer) by Paco Ortiz, recounts the life and legacy of this outstanding flamenco dancer, choreographer, and pioneer of Spanish dance in the 20th century. It will be screened at the Fundación Ibercaja Patio de la Infanta at 7:00 p.m. .
The feature film in competition today comes from Montenegro. Obraz, by Nikola Vukcevic, is set during World War II and can be seen tonight at 9:00 p.m. at the Cervantes cinema. Actor Álvaro Díaz Morales will serve as host.
Lux sacra, by director Eduardo de la Cruz, was the Aragonese documentary screened this morning at the Caesaraugusta Theater Museum.
Tickets for the screening of Gladiator in the Plaza del Pilar are sold out.
At the age of 4, he danced in the streets in exchange for a few coins. At 6, he mastered the sevillanas, and at 7, he made his theater debut. At just 16, he made it big in the Americas and triumphed in New York, perfecting his style on Broadway and shooting several films in the mecca of cinema before returning to Spain. We are talking about Antonio Ruiz Soler, considered by many to be the best Spanish dancer of all time.
The life and legacy of this outstanding dancer, choreographer, and pioneer of Spanish dance in the 20th century have been brought back to life by director Paco Ortiz in the documentary Antonio, el bailarín de España (Antonio, the Dancer of Spain), which is being presented today in Zaragoza to coincide with International Dance Day and can be seen this afternoon at 7:00 p.m. at the Ibercaja Patio de la Infanta Foundation, as part of the Saraqusta Film Festival competition screenings. The production is by José Carlos de Isla.
Part of the team behind the feature film ‘Obraz’, from Montenegro, which is in competition and will be screened tonight at 9:00 p.m. at the Cervantes cinema, has traveled to the Aragonese capital and will be hosted by actor Álvaro Díaz Morales. The director and producer, Nikola Vukcevic, and the lead actor, Edon Rizvanolli, revealed some key details about this film at a press conference. Set during World War II, it shows how a persecuted child finds refuge in the enemy’s house. The host is faced with a terrible choice: save the child’s life or risk losing his own family.
Nikola Vukcevic has emphasized that the film, which is receiving very good reviews in the Balkans, “is against the power of the strong and wants to reflect the group of people who, in a conflict, prioritize values and put them before the struggle for ideas or religion”. He also pointed out that the 36 hours that take place in the house were filmed over four years due to the pandemic, which allowed him to detail each character, their reactions, and emotions with precision. In fact, for the final casting of the film, they worked with six children for months until they chose the one who ultimately stars in the film. Actor Edon Rizvanolli also stated that this time allowed him to develop his character very well, the father of the family “who puts his word and honor above all else.”
This morning, visitors to the Caesaraugusta Theater Museum also had the opportunity to enjoy Lux sacra, by director and screenwriter Eduardo de la Cruz. Today’s Aragonese documentary takes us on a journey through time via the gaze of the sun. It shows the magic and eloquence of sunlight, explaining its power and symbolism as a narrative used by all cultures.
De la Cruz was accompanied by the author of the book ‘Luz sagrada’, José Miguel Navarro, who pointed out that “this documentary complements the book, adding dynamism to the eloquence of its texts.”
The round table discussion on this day of the festival analyzed the visual effects of the series ‘Sin límites’, (Without Limits), led by Ana Revilla and Ignacio Lacosta from the Aragonese studio XReality. The fiction is set in August 1519, when 239 sailors, led by the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan, set sail from Seville for the Indies. Three years later, only 18 sailors returned in the only ship that survived the voyage, led by the Spaniard Juan Sebastián Elcano. An episode of the series will be screened as part of Panorama Saraqusta at 5:00 p.m. at Ibercaja Patio de la Infanta Foundation.
Saraqusta Film Festival is co-organized by the Zaragoza City Council and Cosmos Fan, with the support of the Government of Aragon as an institutional partner, the Ibercaja Foundation as the main partner, and Ibercaja, Carné Joven de Aragón, Aragón Alimentos, and Arafilmfest as collaborators.
WEDNESDAY 30 AGENDA
The press conference for the fourth day of the festival (10:00 a.m., Caesaraugusta Roman Theater Museum) will be attended by the team behind the French documentary ‘Portugal ’74’: directors Paul Le Grouyer and Bruno Lorvão, and producer Fatma Tarhouni. José Alberto Andrés Lacasta, director of the Aragonese documentary ‘Manolo Kabezabolo’, will also be present.
In addition, director Gaizka Urresti will attend to talk about ‘Los primeros cien años’ (The First Hundred Years), a documentary he has directed and which can be seen at 5:00 p.m. at Ibercaja Patio de la Infanta Foundation as part of Panorama Saraqusta. This audiovisual, which is not in competition, tells the story of the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Santurtzi throughout its hundred years of existence.
The Aragonese documentary of the day (at 12:00 p.m. at the Caesaraugusta Theater Museum) will be ‘Manolo Kabezabolo’, by José Alberto Andrés Lacasta, about the musician from Zaragoza. Then, at 12:30 p.m., it will be time for the round table discussion ‘Rock Stars and Classics’, which will analyze how audiovisual media has portrayed the gods of music, led by Pablo and Álvaro Aragüés and Irene Martínez.
The screenings at Fundación Ibercaja Patio de la Infanta will be: at 5:00 p.m., as part of Panorama Saraqusta, ‘Los primeros cien años’ (The First Hundred Years), and at 7:00 p.m., the documentary in competition ‘Portugal ’74’, a French production directed by Paul Le Grouyer and Bruno Lorvão about the Carnation Revolution. At 9:00 p.m. at the Cervantes cinema, you can enjoy the feature film in competition ‘Seoul Spring’, from South Korea, directed by Kim Sung-su. It is a political drama based on the real events that took place in South Korea in 1979 after the assassination of President Park, and will be presented by actress Maite Uzal.
Tomorrow, there will also be a special screening: at 6:00 p.m. in the Plaza del Pilar, ‘Gladiator’ will be shown. Ridley Scott’s classic, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, is already sold out.
Tickets for all Saraqusta Film Festival screenings and the closing gala are available through the festival’s official website, saraqustafilmfestival.com