Enrique Morente’s posthumous movie premieres at the 2011 Málaga Film Festival

‘El barbero de Picasso’ is to be shown at cinemas in Spain starting on April 8th

Flamenco-world.com, March 2011

The last song Enrique Morente sang was ‘El ángel caído’ by Antonio Vega, accompanied on piano by Federico Lechner. And it’s part of the musical and personal testament which the cantaor recorded in the feature film ‘El barbero de Picasso’. The movie, directed by Emilio Ruiz Barrachina, includes the musical work developed around Picasso’s texts, the painter’s friendship with his barber Eugenio Arias and traditional cante. The film includes performances by the cantaor at El Bañuelo in Granada with his family, Buitrago de Lozoya Castle, Barcelona’s Liceo and in front of ‘Guernica’ at the Reina Sofía Museum. The documentary premieres on March 31st at the 2011 Málaga Film Festival and beginning on April 8th, it is to be shown at cinemas all over Spain.

Enrique Morente. Frame from 'Morente. El barbero de Picasso'

As Emilio Ruiz Barrachina writes, ‘Morente. El barbero de Picasso’ “isn’t a classical documentary with the usual interviews, but rather a sort of large-scale music video, a real film, where drama is mixed with concerts, meetings and archives in a totum revolutum guided by Picasso’s very own barber (Enrique Morente)”. The director affirms that it’s similar to ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ by Wim Wenders “with regards to the rhythm and way of telling the story”.

“The encounter with great personalities, that unrepeatable situations are recorded, seems fundamental to me”, something which the director emphasizes together with the magic of the live concerts. And all of it is joined by technology. It was shot with seven high-definition cameras and Dolby Surround 7.1. A high-quality mix has also been made for TV broadcast and distribution on DVD. Ruiz Barrachina points out that there has been “an extraordinary display of means”. The result has “fast-paced rhythm and exceptional emotion”.

The film premieres outside of the official competition of the 2011 Málaga Film Festival on March 31st at the Teatro Cervantes in Málaga. By the way, the festival program also includes another film about flamenco, the movie 'Niño Miguel' by director Nacho Martín, which will be shown that same night at the Teatro Echegaray. Afterwards, ‘Morente. El barbero de Picasso’ will be seen at cinemas throughout Spain beginning on April 8th.

Enrique Morente. Frame from 'Morente. El barbero de Picasso'

Enrique, Estrella and José Enrique Morente. Frame from 'Morente. El barbero de Picasso'