Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia Explained

Birth Date:17 February 1974
Birth Place:Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
Occupation:Filmmaker
Years Active:2004–present

Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia (in Basque ɡalder ɣas̻telu urutia/; born 17 February 1974) is a Spanish film and advertising director and producer.[1] He made his feature-film debut with The Platform (2019), a dystopian science fiction-horror film.

Early life and education

Gaztelu-Urrutia was born on 17 February 1974 in Bilbao.[2] He completed a B.A. in business management with a specialization in international trade.[1]

Career

He directed the short films 913 (2004) and The House on the Lake (2011).[1] He also directed commercials.[1] His feature film debut was in 2019 with the dystopian science fiction-horror film The Platform (its Spanish title is El hoyo, transl. The Hole).[1] About the film, he said the point is "it isn’t about a war between those above and those below — we all have someone above us and someone below us".[3]

In February 2023, Deadline announced his next film will be a thriller titled Rich Flu, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jonah Hauer-King.[4]

Influences and style

Gaztelu-Urrutia has named Dante's Divine Comedy as one of his literary influences for The Platform, as well as films such as Buñuel's The Exterminating Angel (1962), Jeunet's Delicatessen (1991), Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (1982) and Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976).[5]

Filmography

Feature films

YearTitleDirectorProducerWriter
2019The Platform
2024The Platform 2
TBARich Flu

Short films

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducer
2004913
2011The House on the Lake

Awards

The Platform won the People's Choice Award for Midnight Madness at the Toronto Film Festival,[6] and garnered four honours at the Sitges Film Festival: Best Film, Best New Director, Best Special Effects and the Audience Award.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia • Director of The Platform . Rivera. Alfonso. 16 October 2020 . cineuropa.org. Cineuropa. 5 April 2020 .
  2. Web site: 31 May 2021. Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia. Basque Films.
  3. News: Jones. Sam. What Netflix's The Platform tells us about humanity in the coronavirus era. 2020-04-16. The Guardian. 2020-04-16. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  4. Web site: ‘Rich Flu’: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rafe & Tim Spall, Lorraine Bracco & Jonah Hauer-King Among Cast For Fabula Thriller Filming In Spain & Senegal — EFM . Wiseman. Andreas. 17 February 2023 . Deadline Hollywood.
  5. Web site: 8 November 2019. Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia: “Los humanos somos una especie miserable y peligrosa”. El Cultural.
  6. Jessica Wong, "TIFF 2019: Jojo Rabbit captures TIFF People's Choice Award". CBC News, 15 September 2019.