The South
El Sur
Víctor Erice
A small city in the North of Spain in 1957. A story about the powerful relationship between a father, Agustín, and his daughter Estrella. One day, however, their complicity is broken when Estrella discovers that her father hides a deep secret, a secret about a strange woman...
With : Omero Antonutti, Sonsoles Ananguren, Iciar Bollaín, Lola Cardona, Rafaela Aparicio, María Caro, Francisco Merino, Aurore Clément, Germaine Montero
Screenplay : Víctor Erice, Angel F. Santos d'après le roman d'Adelaida García Morales
Image : José Luis Alcaine
Sound : Bernardo Menz
Music : Maurice Ravel, Enrique Granados, Schubert
Editing : Pablo G. del Amo
Screenplay : Víctor Erice, Angel F. Santos d'après le roman d'Adelaida García Morales
Image : José Luis Alcaine
Sound : Bernardo Menz
Music : Maurice Ravel, Enrique Granados, Schubert
Editing : Pablo G. del Amo
Production : Elias Querejera, Jean-Pierre Fouget
Distribution: Connaissance du cinéma
Distribution: Connaissance du cinéma
In this his second film, Erice tried to straightforwardly depict childhood under Franco's dictatorship. "The film's force comes most of all from the precision with which Erice follows the young girl's psychological evolution. Rarely has childhood been shown with so little triteness. (...) The other main quality of the film is the obsession with which Erice films the settings and countryside. (...) Mannerist and perfectionist, Erice must have spent a great deal of time filming or preparing each of the shots that compose Estrella's destiny." (S. Toubiana) Inspired by the original story by Adelaida G. Morales, Erice's companion at the time, this film should have had a second episode, as in the novel. But the producer, Elías Querejeta decided it was unnecessary to make the film any longer. Because of this, Erice considered the film unfinished. For him, "the crux of The South isn't the loss or death of the father, but the reconstruction of his personality through his daughter's becoming an adult."