Collective essay that approaches the cinema of one of the cursed directors of Spanish film.
Eloy de la Iglesia. The hidden pleasure of Spanish cinema brings us closer to the vibrant and complex career of one of the most important directors of the Transition, responsible for popular titles such as El techo de cristal, La semana del asesino, El diputado, El pico, and La estanquera de Vallecas. Looked down upon by the critics of the time, who did not forgive his commercial ambition, and claimed by the new generations, the figure of Eloy de la Iglesia is essential to understand one of the most turbulent stages of our recent history.
This collective essay, coordinated by Carlos Barea, delves into the different aspects that converge in the films of the Basque filmmaker, where the willingness to provoke and the rawest eroticism coexist with the intention to realistically show the political ups and downs and the social transformations. His extensive filmography featured the stars of the moment (Carmen Sevilla, Amparo Muñoz, Simón Andreu, Vicente Parra, or José Sacristán, among others) and new talents without experience in front of the camera (such as José Luis Manzano, his favourite actor).
Homosexual and communist, Eloy de la Iglesia decisively contributed to portraying the lights and, above all, the shadows of a country awakening to democracy but turning its back on part of the population. Among the marginalized were the so-called quinquis, who gave name to the successful film subgenre, and the members of the LGBT collective, to whom he gave a voice until then silenced.
Book details:
Authors: Diana Aller | Alejandro Melero | Juan Sánchez | Eduardo Bravo | La Caneli | Nicolás Grijalba de la Calle | David Velduque | Vicente Monroy | Francina Ribes Pericàs | Violeta Kovacsics | Carlos Barea
