El Sur (1983)
"El sur" (original title)

The movie tells a melancholic story of a little girl who is living in a city in the north. She is fascinated by the secrets of the south which seem to be hidden in the personality of her ... See full summary »

Director:

Víctor Erice

Writers:

Víctor Erice, Adelaida García Morales (novel)

Stars:

Omero Antonutti, Sonsoles Aranguren, Icíar Bollaín

7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Omero Antonutti	...	Agustín Arenas
Sonsoles Aranguren	...	Estrella - 8 años
Icíar Bollaín	...	Estrella - 15 años
Lola Cardona	...	Julia
Rafaela Aparicio	...	Milagros
Aurore Clément	...	Irene Ríos / Laura
Francisco Merino	...	Enamorado
Maria Caro	...	Casilda
José Vivó	...	Camarero
Germaine Montero	...	Doña Rosario
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
José García García Morilla	...	Chófer
María Massip	...	Estrella adulta (voice)

Storyline

The movie tells a melancholic story of a little girl who is living in a city in the north. She is fascinated by the secrets of the south which seem to be hidden in the personality of her father.

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Plot Keywords:

girl | childhood | spain | hiding under a bed | film within a film | 

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Taglines:

Sur est un seul et grand Tango

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

Spain France

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

13 February 1986 (Australia)

Also Known As:

El Sur

Filming Locations:

Estella, Navarra, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chloë Productions, Elías Querejeta Producciones Cinematográficas S.L., Televisión Española (TVE)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Voted sixth best Spanish film by professionals and critics in 1996 Spanish cinema centenary.

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Connections

References Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

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Soundtracks

"En er mundo"
Composed by Enric Granados

User Reviews

A lyrical intensity

I feel compelled to relate this as it has been at least ten years since I saw this film (in a student union theater) and it still has a powerful hold on my memory. I have been unable to find it on video, so my recollections are fragmentary.

I was so impressed, involved, and moved by this tale that I left the cinema feeling as if I were floating just above the pavement. One is quietly and adroitly drawn in by the mystery that the young daughter in 1950s Spain senses in her father. The political dimension is brilliantly nuanced, carefully alluded to without speechifying. The wondrous cinematography captures light so deftly at times that it is almost luminous: late afternoon sunlight across a room, snow slowly falling (viewed through a window), a rain soaked street at night. As the daughter grows to adolescence the enigma of her reticent father begins to clear. It may not sound like much in my words, but from wool Victor Erice has spun gold.