Luis García Berlanga
Luis García Berlanga Martí (born June 12, 1921 in Valencia , † November 13, 2010 in Madrid ) was one of the most important Spanish film directors .
Life
Berlanga grew up in Valencia and Switzerland. After the Spanish Civil War, Berlanga's father was imprisoned as a member of the Popular Front. As a member of the Falange , Berlanga tried to improve his father's situation by volunteering for the Blue Division and fighting for the Germans on the Eastern Front for a year. After his return he took up his philosophy studies again, painted and founded a film club in Valencia. After the end of World War II, he began studying film at the Instituto de Investigaciones y Experiencias Cinematográficas . There he met Juan Antonio Bardem , with whom he made his first feature film in 1952 with Esa Pareja Feliz after a few documentaries . The following year, Bardem wrote the screenplay for Welcome, Mr. Marshall , Berlanga's first major success as a director. The film was named best comedy in Cannes in 1953 .
Berlanga had meanwhile moved away from the Falange and took a more libertarian position, but was not persecuted by the Falange because of his successes. But Berlanga had constant problems with the Spanish censorship with his films that mocked the Spanish present and society. His next big film Los jueves, milagro only came to the cinemas years later. After his film Placido received an Oscar nomination for best foreign language film, he succeeded in 1963 with El Verdugo, a masterpiece of black humor. In general, a more pessimistic mood shaped his later films; his characters could only make do with black humor.
Berlanga and Bardem are now considered the most important Spanish directors of the time of Franquism . After the end of Franquism, Berlanga was also highly revered and honored in Spain. Since 1986 he has been Honorary President of the Spanish Film Academy; also in 1986 he received the Prince of Asturias Prize . In 1987 Berlanga was the first person to be honored with an honorary Goya for his life's work.
Filmography (selection)
- 1952: Esa pareja feliz
- 1953: Welcome, Mr. Marshall (Bienvenido, Mr. Marshall!)
- 1956: Calabuig (Calabuch)
- 1957: Los jueves, milagro
- 1959: Se vende un tranvía
- 1961: Placido (Placido)
- 1962: The four truths (Les quatre verités) - Director of the 1st episode
- 1963: The Executioner (El verdugo)
- 1978: La escopeta nacional
- 1981: Patrimonio nacional
- 1982: Nacional III
- 1985: La Vaquilla
- 1986: Dangerous instincts (Barrios altos)
- 1987: Moros y Cristianos
- 1993: Todos a la cárcel
literature
- Kay Less : The film's great personal dictionary . The actors, directors, cameramen, producers, composers, screenwriters, film architects, outfitters, costume designers, editors, sound engineers, make-up artists and special effects designers of the 20th century. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-340-3 .
- Matthias Schilhab: "The well-known and the unknown work of the Spanish film director Luis García Berlanga". (Dissertation) dissertation.de. Verlag im Internet GmbH, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-89825-382-1 .
Web links
- Literature by and about Luis García Berlanga in the catalog of the library of the Instituto Cervantes in Germany
- Luis García Berlanga in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Literature by and about Luis García Berlanga in the catalog of the German National Library
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Berlanga, Luis García |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Berlanga Martí, Luis García |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Spanish film director |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 12, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Valencia |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 13, 2010 |
| Place of death | Madrid |