Carlos Saura

Carlos Saura's Life

A classic within the scope of Spanish cinema, Carlos Saura has been making films since the 1950's. Despite his birth during the peak of Francisco Franco's overbearing dictatorship, Saura grew up in a creative atmosphere which instilled in him the passion for art, music, and artistic expression in general that would show itself time and again in his films. He started off in photography and then quickly added film-work to his talents. He went on to study Industrial Engineering, but quickly switched to journalism, photography, and cinema where he could better nurture his artistic passions.

Critics, audiences, and film buffs throughout Spain and the world agree that Carlos Saura is a genius at what he does. With over a half-century spent - divided between the dictatorship and the subsequent democracy - directing an impressive collection of films, he demonstrates and even personnifies the development of Spanish film.

Carlos Saura's Trademarks

Having begun his lengthy career as an excellent photographer, Carlos Saura's eye certainly does not fail him as a director. Intelligent and creative, all of his films boast artistic expression as they integrate music, art, and even dance seamlessly into the plots. He often uses non-professional actors and, operating from a rough guide, relies heavily on improvisation. His intimate, personal films lean on the power of classic simplicity in everything from his film sets to his camera angles.

Regarding the typical themes dominating Carlos Saura's films, many analyze Spanish social issues both before and after the end of Franco's dictatorship. Prior to the restoration of democracy, the government's establishment of censorship limited how Saura could express his critical ideas regarding the society that Franco was trying to create. He often used symbolism to transmit concepts to the public while staying beneath the repressive government's radar. Other themes that stand out in Carlos Saura's films are social problems that wracked Spain's society then and continue to do so now; drugs, street life, juvenile delinquency, robbery, human violence, social change, and the relations between man and woman maintain a constant presence in his movies.

Carlos Saura's Films

From documentaries to dramas to flamenco films, Carlos Saura's resume is certainly not lacking. From his very first film he has stood out as a trailblazer within the world of cinema, and for good reason. Of the 34 films that earned him a myriad of presigious awards and nominations, amongst them Oscars, Cannes Film Festival Awards, and prizes from numerous international and national film festivals, stand-outs include:

• Los golfos
• La caza
  
• Peppermint Frapé
  
• Cría cuervos
  
• Ana y los lobos
  
• Mamá cumple 100 años
  
• Carmen
  
• ¡Ay, Carmela!
  
• Sevillanas
  
• Taxi
  
• Tango
  
• Goya en Bordeaux