The Artist and the Model
Fernando Trueba, 2012, Spain, 104m, DCP
With rich black-and-white photography, Trueba’s ode to artistic inspiration—featuring an appearance by Claudia Cardinale—takes place in 1943 in occupied France, where elderly sculptor Jean Rochefort, fatigued by the landscape of war, is inspired to work on his final masterpiece after a beautiful young Spanish refugee (Aida Folch) arrives at his doorstep.
Calle 54
Fernando Trueba, 2000, Spain/France, 105m, DCP
Ten years before Chico & Rita, Trueba made this milestone documentary tribute to Cuban jazz. Warm-hearted, lively, and gracefully lensed, it features a slew of performances from musical giants including Bebo Valdes (and son Chucho), Tito Puento, and Gato Barbieri, providing glimpses into history both personal and political, mournful and joyous. “So infectious it should leave you elated” (The New York Times).
Chico & Rita
Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal & Tono Errando,2010, Spain/UK,94m, 35mm
Unfolding primarily between Havana and New York in the late 40s and early 50s, this sweetly melancholic animated love letter to Cuba and its music follows the operatic relationship between fictional lovers Chico, an ambitious piano player, and Rita, a gifted singer—though their story is punctuated by encounters with real-life greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, and Charlie Parker. Nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Animated Feature category.
The Girl of Your Dreams
Fernando Trueba, 1998, Spain, 121m, 35mm
Penelope Cruz puts on her best Andalucian accent for her Goya Award-winning performance in Trueba’s luxurious tale of Spanish expatriates in WWII. A band of filmmakers are forced by the Civil War to move to Germany to shoot a co-production, but get caught up in the hectic climate of looking conflict, not least when the beautiful lead (Cruz) attracts the attention of certified madman Joseph Goebbels. With Hanna Schygulla as Goebbels’ wife.
No comments:
Post a Comment