2011 Program |
Ttaup! Ttaup! | Ogro | Ipuina Kontatu
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A film set in the Basque region of Gipuzkoa, beginning in the Carlist war of 1875 and ending during the Spanish Civil war of 1936. The film portrays how one single act of cowardice shapes the life of the next three generations of two families and fuels the intense rivalry which will span the next sixty-one years.
At the trenches of Biscay in 1875 during the Second Carlist War, an army
sergeant named Carmelo Mendiluze (Kandido Uranga) learns from a young
errand boy named Ilegorri (Ortzi Balda) that a neighbor named Manuel
Iriguibel (Carmelo Gómez) from his native village has joined their
exhausted battalion. Eager for news of his child's birth, Carmelo
befriends the inexperienced soldier whose reputation as an expert
aizcolari (competition log cutter) cannot conceal his apprehension and
fear of armed combat. Manuel's paralyzing timidity results in tragic
consequences that is exacerbated by a subsequent ignominious act by
Manuel in an attempt to be transported away from the front lines and
evade military duty. Thirty years later, in the town of Guipuzcoa, a
lingering animosity has continued between the Mendiluze and Iriguibel
families. Miguel's grown son Ignacio (Carmelo Gómez) and the Carmelo's
son Juan (Kandido Uranga) have maintained family traditions by honing
their skills as aizcolari. Despite the strained relations between the
neighbors, the destinies of the two families seem fatefully
interconnected, as a close childhood friendship develops between Juan's
younger brother, Peru (Miguel Ángel García) and Ignacio's sister,
Cristina (Ana Sánchez). Similarly, Juan's sister, Catalina (Ana
Torrent), cannot conceal her romantic interest for Ignacio as she
furtively watches him practice cutting logs in the woods - an attraction
that proves to be mutual through Ignacio's playful attempts to catch her
already piqued attention. In an attempt to capitalize from the rivalry
between the two families, Ilegorri (Karra Elejalde), now a grown man,
arranges a waged competition between the two men and soon, Ignacio's
career as an aizcolari contender is launched. Invariably, Ignacio's
travels to national competitions lead to fame and success, and
consequently, prolonged separation from his family and his beloved
Catalina. But as the vanquished Juan becomes increasingly obsessed and
delusional with thoughts of vengeance, can love transcend the bounds of
familial obligation? |
1992, directed by Julio Medem, 1 hour 36 minutes, color, in Castilian with English subtitles.
Hosted by Dr. Oscar Alvarez of the Center for Basque Studies
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(Flock)
A shepherd, lost in the city, searches for his flock. His call attracts the attention of some people, who decide to follow him. |
2009, directed by Asier Altuna, 8 minutes, no dialogue |
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Both films!
Friday, April 1st, 7:30pm, Basque Cultural Center
Free Admission.
Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080
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The beating of the oars
Zumaia, on the coast. Winter 2007 in the rowing
club. Although they compete in summer, the rowing boats have already
started practicing. Demanding physical events, competition, rejections.
All for one in the same boat. |
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2010 directed by Eneko
Dorronsoro, 67 minutes, color,
Hosted by director Eneko Dorronsoro
Eneko Dorronsoro
was born in Zumaia in 1978, and studied directing and screenplay in
Barcelona. Has been working in film and television since then.
Outstanding among his work as a director is the short film Olarro (2007)
and the music report Karidadeko Benta. Lehengo munduaren azkena (2008). |
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Olarro
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2007, directed by Eneko Dorronsoro, 9 minutes, with English subtitles |
Both films!
Friday, May 6th, 7:30pm, Basque Cultural Center
Free Admission.
Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080
Eneko Dorronsoro (left) introduces his
film in Euskara while Xabier Berrueta translates in English.
Eneko Dorronsoro with BEO chairman
Yvonne Hauscarriague (far left), BEO Vice-Chair Marisa Espinal and Xabier
Berrueta.
Here is a clip from Mr. Dorronsoro's presentation:
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As 1973 winds down, Franco is still governing Spain with an iron hand.
Opposition parties are forbidden; labor movements are repressed; and
Basque nationalists are mercilessly hunted down. The caudillo is aging,
though, and the continuity of the régime is in question. One man has the
trust of Franco, enough authority and experience to assume the
leadership, and an impeccable track record as to dealing with enemies of
the State: admiral Carrero Blanco. For the embattled clandestine Basque
organization ETA, Carrero Blanco must be brought down. Daring plans are
made, requiring a meticulous execution...
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1979, directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, 1 hour 55 minutes, color - all-new, restored high-definition digital transfer in Italian with English subtitles.
Hosted by Dr. Oscar Alvarez of the Center for Basque Studies |
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Gillo
Pontecorvo (1919–2006) was an Italian filmmaker. He worked as a film
director for more than a decade before his best known film La battaglia
di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers, 1966) was released. For this he was
nominated for the Best Director Oscar in 1969 and won the Golden Lion at
the Venice Film Festival in that year. |
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Un Novio de Mierda
After four months without seeing each other, a girl receives a visit from her exboyfriend.
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2010, directed by Borja Cobeaga, 3.5 minutes, Castilian with English subtitles |
Both films!
Friday, May 20th, 7:30pm, Basque Cultural Center
Free Admission.
Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080
An exclusive sneak preview of the
upcoming documentary “Ipuina Kontatu” (telling stories), presented at
the Basque Cultural Center by the film’s director Emily Lobsenz. Each
member and patron of the Basque Cultural Center and their family members and guests
are invited to this private event.
There will be a hosted (wine & cheese) meet and greet reception preceding the screening, that will be sponsored by the BEO and Zuazo Gaston Bodegas. To attend, please RSVP to Nicole Sorhondo at 415-285-0748 or at Info@BasqueEd.org by October 10th. |
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Weaving together the personal stories of contemporary Basques, this film tells the extraordinary tale of an ancient culture’s survival from within its contemporary context. As the film unfolds, the tales peppering Basque history inform each of the character’s lives and their unique way of synthesizing our contemporary world’s challenges into their anciently rooted way of life.
Ipuina Kontatu means Telling
Stories. Basques passed their language and customs down the generations
by an oral tradition and the film imitates this through oral-tales. Out
on their boat, Jorge and Yolanda tell wild accounts of Basque fishermen
chasing after monstrous whales. How will they fight the monstrous
commercial fleets fishing beside them? Kepa s musical passions called
him away from the city of Bilbao to explore the local music traditions
of his rural surroundings. He s now reinventing those traditions with
musicians worldwide. Etxebarria transformed rocky mountains into fertile
farmlands and with his daughter Itziar endeavors to recover heirloom
varietals and post-industrial lands. Carmelo s family lived the
nightmare that intensive industrialization spawned in Basque iron-mines.
He wants to preserve the memory of this abuse and allow mother nature to
retake her territory, but land-developers have a different agenda.
Joseba and his daughter Bego undertake repopulating an indigenous Basque
sheep that is near extinction. To make it profitable they produce the
artisan cheese his grandmother made and find their way to an
international market. Secondary characters add details as social
considerations trickle into a narrative that dances between history and
present as the mysterious tale of Basque culture s survival unfolds. The
alluring personalities of these five protagonists and the tenacious
spirit with which they confront these challenges drive the story
forward. Collectively they offer a novel perspective on what it means to
lead an internationally local and progressively traditional life. |
Ipuina Kontatu: The Basque Way Trailer from Ipuina Kontatu on Vimeo.
2011, directed by Emily Lobsenz, 63 minutes, color, in Euskara & Castilian with English subtitles.
Hosted by the film's director Emily Lobsenz
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Emily Lobsenz
Graduating Summa Cum Laude from Amherst College (2002), Emily directed two award winning films. She earned a Masters at The Courtauld Institute of Art, London (2003) and received honors for her dissertation on The Order of the Golden Fleece. She has since done award-winning work in camera and production-design for film and television in Europe and the US.
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Friday, October 14th, 7:30pm, Basque Cultural Center
Private Event - By Invitation Only
Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080
Director Emily Lobsenz pictured with BEO directors (left to right) Frantxoa Bidaurreta,
Anna Iriartborde, Esther Bidaurreta, Nicole Sorhondo, Philippe Acheritogaray