The filmmaker shoots a musical based on the suite ‘Iberia’ by Isaac Albéniz

Flamenco-world.com, December 2004

The suite ‘Iberia’ by Isaac Albéniz turns one hundred years old. And to commemorate the event, Carlos Saura will premiere a musical film in 2005 in which flamenco will play a leading role, together with other artistic expressions such as classical music, ballet, Spanish dancing and contemporary dancing. Manolo Sanlúcar, Gerardo Núñez, José Antonio Rodríguez, Enrique Morente, Estrella Morente, Jorge Pardo, Chano Domínguez, Sara Baras and Antonio Canales take part in the new full-length film by the author of films such as ‘Flamenco’, ‘Sevillanas’ and ‘Salomé’.

Carlos Saura's camera once again zeroes in on flamenco. The jondo art is going to be a key piece to ‘Iberia’, a film inspired by the work of composer Isaac Albéniz which, according to statements by the director in press releases, “isn't a documentary, it's a recreation and reinvention of musical pieces”. The idea for the film comes from pianist Rosa Torres-Pardo, who takes charge of the pieces ‘Evocación’ and ‘Triana’.

Enrique Morente (frame from 'Flamenco') / Manolo Sanlúcar (frame from 'Flamenco') /
Sara Baras (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

A large group of flamenco musicians will be responsible for the rest of the musical score. Standing out among them are guitarists Manolo Sanlúcar -who already appeared in ‘Sevillanas’ and ‘Flamenco’ -, Gerardo Núñez and José Antonio Rodríguez. The cante is done by Enrique Morente and his daughter Estrella Morente, who already collaborated with the director in the film ‘Buñuel y la mesa del rey Salomón’ (‘Buñuel and King Solomon's Table’). Sara Baras, Antonio Canales, José Antonio and Aida Gómez - star of the musical ‘Salomé’ by Carlos Saura - will dance and choreograph this new film project, which will also include the participation of other flamenco musicians such as pianist Chano Domínguez and saxophonist Jorge Pardo.

Carlos Saura (Huesca, 1932) has made flamenco a constant source of inspiration in his award-winning film work. Together with Antonio Gades, between 1981 and 1986 he directed the trilogy consisting of ‘El amor brujo’, ‘Carmen’ and ‘Bodas de sangre’. Of a documentary nature, he later shot ‘Sevillanas’ and ‘Flamenco’, a film which has become the most renowned ambassador of flamenco the world over. Then in 2002 he took back up the trilogy format to do the flamenco version of the myth of Salomé, starring and choreographed by Aida Gómez. The fruit of his idyll with the jondo art is the photo book published in 2004 with the title ‘Flamenco’, a work in a deluxe edition gathering dozens of previously unpublished pictures and reflections by Carlos Saura about flamenco.

Carlos Saura (Frame from DVD 'Salomé')

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