My name is Javier Zurro and this week I am writing the Culture newsletter for you.
Pedro Almodovar visited the editorial staff of elDiario.es and gave us a generous and sincere interview. He talks about his new film – don’t miss it The next piece, the first of which is today -, on his cinema, on the political moment in Spain and as always, he has positioned himself politically. Why not ?
In recent weeks, since the filmmaker gave a speech at the Venice Film Festival against the far right, many voices (oh, surprise, all conservative) have criticized a director who gives his opinion on subjects other than these . movie theater. What blindness. Firstly, any artist, as a Spanish citizen, can make whatever criticism he wants, and if he has a microphone in front of him, he will take advantage of it. I would have liked all these people to criticize the sexist comments many high-performing and recently retired athletes.
But we must go further, is it possible to have an art that is not political? It’s not. There are politics at Marvel. There is politics in any series that shows young people living in apartments they cannot afford and of course there is politics in the cinema of Pedro Almodóvar, whose opinions are listened to attentively around the world whole and criticized in his country.
I leave you here so that you can continue the newsletter and, as I imagine, you will want to open a book when you are finished. Like every week, I offer three films, and my partner Laura García Higueras, three plans to enjoy the weekend. Additionally, I have chosen three articles that I don’t want you to miss from everything we have published in culture this week.
Three recommended articles
Three recommended films, by Javier Zurro
- The following piece: Pedro Almodóvar presents the film. Already. There should be no more reason to go see The Room Next Door, but what’s more, it won the Golden Lion, it’s his first film in English, it has Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore and it’s a moving, austere and wonderful look at a dignified death and a paean to the power of empathy. One of the films of the year. You can’t miss it.
- Valencian: Valencian Community. 1990s. Manipulation of public television. Sensualism. Alcasser. Cod road. Does this sound familiar? Well, they’re going to have a great time with this satire on the dark side of those years by Jordi Núñez and with a wonderful transcription by Zaplana. On top of that, the film comes at an unbeatable time, with Zaplana sentenced to ten years in prison.
- Godard + Costa: No, that’s not the name of a movie. These are the last names of two filmmakers. Two essentials which, between long and long, have never been forgotten and are not forgotten for the short either. Godard, before dying, shot two. Costa is still active and last year he filmed one. It’s rare that anyone dedicates time to short films, but distributor Atalante has opted for them…and in theaters.
Three projects for the weekend, by Laura G. Higueras
- Scène Poblenou contemporary creation festival. Memory, positive thinking and a critical sense of humor – a wonderful combination, in my opinion – will be the central axes of this party which will include 24 proposals covering theater, performance, circus and clowning. Leo Bassi, Hermanas Picohueso, Gina Vila and Sílvia Capel are some of the artists who will perform these days in Barcelona. Very supportive of part of its program being devoted to the training of professionals.
- Mechanical containment. Zaida Alonso directs this work which addresses the psychiatric violence suffered by psychiatrized people in the care services themselves. The work is carried out in the form of documentary theater, with first-person testimonies and will be seen this Friday at the Teatro del Barrio de Lavapiés and Saturday at the Teatro Salón de Cervantes in Alcalá de Henares.
- Ha! Festival. This weekend ends International festival of literature and art with humor Ha! in Bilbao. This Friday there will be a meeting between Manuel Vilas and Ignacio Echevarría who will talk about the humor of Kafka, Saturday between Rodrigo Cortés and Andrés Ibáñez, and Reiner Stach; and on Sunday, director Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón will comment on his ten favorite comic sequences.
Librotea’s recommendations
This week, Librotea offers books for the gap, books by women writers and even a selection by Juan Gómez Bárcena:
Every Friday morning, Elena Cabrera works as a cultural prescriber in a bulletin which summarizes cultural news in a first part highlighting some of the stories published by the section that week. The newsletter has three fixed blocks: 3 article sections; 3 cultural plans chosen by Laura G. Higuera and 3 film recommendations chosen by Javier Zurro. Additionally, in the last newsletter of the month, Gerardo Vilches selects three comics.
