When Spain joined the European Union in 1986, many people thought the death knell for bullfighting had sounded. The modernising effect of membership of the bloc would stretch beyond the confines of the national economy and infrastructure, they reasoned, to the more ethically charged area of los toros. But the doomsayers were wrong – or at least partly so. The late eighties and early nineties saw something of a resurgence of interest in bullfighting, reflected both in opinion polls and the number of bullfights being staged. And yet, nearly three decades on, the writing really does seem to be on the wall for the fiesta: fewer than 500 bullfights will be held this year, compared to 2,700 … [Read more...] about A slow death in the afternoon
Culture
Graça Barroso: Portugal’s “complete” dancer
Although professional ballet has had a relatively short history in the Iberian Peninsula, there have been a number of performers who have sought to elevate this art form, including Graça Barroso. Considered one of the finest Portuguese dancers of her generation, the former principal dancer for Ballet Gulbenkian and founder of Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo died in Lisbon on June 11, aged 62 after a long illness. The niece of actress and activist Maria Barroso, Graça was born in Lisbon and trained with Anna Ivanova and David Boswell at the Escola do Teatro de São Carlos. By 1968 she was working with choreographer Walter Gore at the Ballet Gulbenkian. She left Portugal for … [Read more...] about Graça Barroso: Portugal’s “complete” dancer
The tragic struggle of the loser on the Vespa
Alfredo Landa, who died last week, was iconic in the world of Spanish cinema as a comic Everyman, lending his name to a style of popular comedy - landismo. Like Norman Wisdom in the UK or Jerry Lewis in the US, Landa played the common man, who, for all his follies and petty obsessions, remains true to himself (and the leading lady). He rebels against authority not because he is a rebel by nature but because only by rebelling can he retain integrity, and he gets the girl in the final reel. However Landa, like Wisdom or Lewis, also showed his talents as a serious dramatic actor. In 1984 he was chosen by Mario Camus to play the lead role of Los santos inocentes, a peasant farmer whose innate … [Read more...] about The tragic struggle of the loser on the Vespa
Portugal stakes a claim at Colombian book fair
Portugal is the guest country at the International Book Fair in Bogotá (also known as FILBo), which opens this month, reflecting an upsurge in interest in Portuguese-language literature. José Luís Peixoto and Inês Pedrosa, both young Portuguese authors, are among the 23 writers who will feature at the Colombian event. Works by legendary figures such as Fernando Pessoa, Luís Vaz de Camões and Eça de Queirós will also feature, as well as that of the more contemporary José Saramago and António Lobo Antunes. According to Público newspaper, over 30,000 books will be available within a 3,000-square-meter pavilion. Exhibits include Lisbon Ground, first shown at the Venice Biennale of … [Read more...] about Portugal stakes a claim at Colombian book fair
The apocalypse comes to Barcelona
The main idea behind Los últimos días, the latest offering from directing/screenwriting brothers David and Àlex Pastor, is far from original. The basic plot - a mysterious and deadly epidemic that creates mass panic and, ultimately, complete social chaos - shares more than a passing likeness with M. Night Shyamalan's 2008 movie The Happening, as well as I am Legend and Danny Boyle's brilliant 2002 release, 28 Days Later. Despite clear parallels with its predecessors, however, Los últimos días is no less worthy in its depiction of all-out human catastrophe. Indeed, it goes one step further, attempting a social critique similar to Blindness, the 2008 movie based on José Saramago's novel of … [Read more...] about The apocalypse comes to Barcelona
Lisbon’s multimedia maestro Eduardo Nery
With its long history of azulejaria, or tilework, and decorative calçada, it could be argued that Lisbon’s soul is illustrated along its walls and cobblestones. One of its best known illustrators was multimedia artist Eduardo Nery, who died in Lisbon on March 2, aged 74. With a writer mother and engineer father, Nery was born in Figueira da Foz and grew up in Lisbon. He attended the Escola Superior de Belas Artes de Lisboa, majoring in painting and also studying architecture and museum conservation. He worked with French tapestry artist Jean Lurçat at Saint-Céré during the 1960s and Nery’s diverse education is reflected in a career that combined photography, painting, glasswork, … [Read more...] about Lisbon’s multimedia maestro Eduardo Nery
Almodóvar’s low-cost comedy fails to raise a laugh
What a shame Pedro Almodóvar’s latest flight of fancy wasn’t cancelled. Los amantes pasajeros (English title I'm So Excited) is an overlong, largely mirthless affair mostly set aboard a plane bound for Mexico City, but which we soon learn is in fact circling above Toledo because its landing gear has been screwed up by absent-minded ground staff Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas. Once purser Javier Cámara (who, as we are reminded on several occasions, cannot lie) reveals the awful truth, the prospect of imminent death prompts an outpouring of secrets from the crew and half-a-dozen business-class passengers, all of whom are straight from Almodóvar central casting: the three cabin crew are, … [Read more...] about Almodóvar’s low-cost comedy fails to raise a laugh
It’s Goya time
Perhaps fearful of another black-and-white silent film garnering a top prize for the second year running, Hollywood excluded Blancanieves from the Best Foreign Film category, but Pablo Berger’s overly long 1920s-set bullfighting take on the Snow White tale looks set to sweep the board at this year’s Goya Awards on February 17 in the Spanish capital. The film has been nominated in 18 categories, including picture, director, original screenplay, and editing. Six members of the cast are also in the running for prizes, including leads Maribel Verdú and Daniel Giménez Cacho, as well as newcomer Macarena García for her winsome portrayal of Snow White. Unit 7, from director Alberto Rodríguez, … [Read more...] about It’s Goya time
Berardo brings Buddha to Lisbon
According to a recent article in The Art Newspaper, Portuguese entrepreneur and financier José Berardo has commissioned additions inspired by the Bamiyan Valley Buddhas for his Buddha Eden Garden, north of Lisbon. Six thousand tons of stone sculptures carved by sculptors based in Shijiazhuang, China, have been commissioned for the park (that being the approximate weight of the Bamiyan Buddhas) and the creation of the garden itself was prompted by the destruction of the Buddhas in central Afghanistan in 2001. The garden contains a number of large-scale Asian sculptures scattered over 35 hectares at the Quinta dos Loridos, Bombarral, including terracotta warriors based on those that guarded … [Read more...] about Berardo brings Buddha to Lisbon
The wisdom of doubt: Álvaro Siza
This year’s Venice Biennale of Architecture, called Common Ground has drawn attention not only through its various exhibits but also in regards to the critical writings surrounding the show. Exhibition director and British architect David Chipperfield had chosen the title Common Ground as a means of addressing the “apparent lack of understanding that exists between the profession and society.” Even with a broad-based title, this latest Biennale may mark a turning point after a period of exhibitions focusing on celebrated designers and showpiece buildings. Furthermore, the decision to award Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira its lifetime achievement award could be pointing to a … [Read more...] about The wisdom of doubt: Álvaro Siza