Commitment and Grace: The Films of Carlos Saura
April 17 – May 3, 2007
Arrested childhoods. Strangeness felt within one's home territory. Jealousy amongst couples. And independent spirits that shine through entrenched and stifling authority no matter what the odds. As a unit, the films of Carlos Saura form one of the finest and most consistently challenging filmographies in the postwar European cinema. Born into a family of musicians and artists, Saura studied filmmaking in Madrid and quickly became a central figure in what was called the "New Spanish Cinema" of the ‘60s, a loosely defined but committed group of artists––Victor Erice, Manuel Gutierrez Aragon, and Basilio Martín Patino, among others––whose films would challenge the restrictions of the Franco regime. Owing to the rigid and vigilant censorship of those years, Saura developed a complex, often allegorical form of cinematic storytelling in films such as Peppermint Frappe, Garden of Delights and Cria, works that won him broad audiences both in Spain and internationally.
Since the death of Franco and the transition in Spain to democracy, Saura has moved away from specifically political works to explore a host of other subjects and themes––from major figures in Spanish culture (The Dark Night, Goya in Bordeaux) to the possibilities of capturing dance on camera. Indeed, with works such as Carmen and Flamenco, Saura has set a new standard for the contemporary dance film.
Our thanks to the Spanish Film Institute (ICAA) in Madrid and to the Instituto Cervantes in New York for their support of the series. Commitment and Grace: The Films of Carlos Saura is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
For a listing of the films in the series go to Program Overview.
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Calendar to view the schedule, film descriptions and, to purchase tickets online.
