Visionaries (2001 film) explained

Native Name:
Nolink:yes
Director:Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón
Screenplay:Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón
Editing:José Salcedo
Music:Bingen Mendizábal
Cinematography:Hans Burmann
Distributor:AltaFilms
Country:Spain
Language:Spanish

Visionaries (Spanish; Castilian: '''Visionarios'''|links=no) is a 2001 Spanish romantic and religious drama directed and written by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón. It stars Eduardo Noriega and Ingrid Rubio alongside Karra Elejalde, Fernando Fernán Gómez, and Emma Suárez.

Plot

Featuring the backdrop of the alleged Marian apparitions that occurred during the Second Spanish Republic in the village of Ezkioga, Gipuzkoa, and the climate of integrist violence arising in reaction to secularization policies,[1] [2] the plot follows the doomed love story between Joshe (a wannabe teacher visiting the village in order to meet with his fiancée Edurne) and Usual, a maid working at the inn.

Production

The film is an Aiete-Ariane Films and Sogecine production, and it had the collaboration of ICAA, Gobierno Vasco, Canal+ and TVE. Shooting locations included the Larraun Valley.[3]

Release

Selected within the lineup of the 49th San Sebastián International Film Festival's official selection, the film premiered in September 2001.[4] Distributed by AltaFilms, it was theatrically released in Spain on 11 October 2001.[5]

Reception

David Rooney of Variety considered that while a prestige picture (owing to the high-profile cast and polished production values), the film is limited by "its lifelessly reverential approach, lack of emotional engagement and failure of the central romance to conjure any lasting resonance".[6]

Ángel Fernández-Santos of El País considered that despite "a powerful synthetic start" and a captivating story (sketching a "magnificent gloomy portrait of closed and sexton Spain"), the denouement does not live up to promise upon the disappearance of father Laburu from the picture and the film loses some of its initial punch.[7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ezkioga, hoy. El País. Antonio. Elorza. 26 October 2001.
  2. Web site: Llegan los 'Visionarios' de Gutiérrez Aragón. Ángel Fernández-Santos. Ángel. Fernández-Santos. El País. 23 September 2021.
  3. Web site: Visionarios. Navarra Film Commission. 9 August 2022.
  4. Web site: El grupo Sogecable invierte 11.464 millones de pesetas en películas españolas en 2001. El País. Elsa. Fernández-Santos. 23 September 2001.
  5. Web site: Visionarios. Sensacina. 9 August 2022.
  6. Web site: Visionaries. Variety. 12 October 2001. David. Rooney.
  7. Web site: Un gran fresco esperpéntico de la España negra. El País. Ángel. Fernández-Santos. Ángel Fernández-Santos. 12 October 2001.