Flamenco (1995)

As a hall fills with performers, a narrator says that flamenco came from Andalucia, a mix of Greek psalms, Mozarabic dirges, Castillian ballads, Jewish laments, Gregorian chants, African ... See full summary »

Director:

Carlos Saura

Writer:

Carlos Saura

Stars:

La Paquera de Jerez, Merche Esmeralda, Manolo Sanlúcar

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
La Paquera de Jerez	...	Herself (segment "Bulerías")
Merche Esmeralda	...	Herself (segment "Guajira")
Manolo Sanlúcar	...	Himself (segment "Alegrías")
Joaquín Cortés	...	Himself (segment "Farruca")
Manuel Moneo	...	Himself (segment "Martinete")
Agujeta	...	(segment "Martinete")
Mario Maya	...	Himself (segment "Martinete")
Paco Toronjo	...	Himself (segment "Fandangos de Huelva")
Antonio Toscano	...	Himself (segment "Fandangos de Huelva")
Fernanda de Utrera	...	Herself (segment "Soleares")
José Menese	...	Himself (segment "Petenera")
María Pagés	...	Herself (segment "Petenera")
Enrique Morente	...	Himself (segment "Siguiriyas")
José Mercé	...	Himself (segment "Soleá")
Manuela Carrasco	...	Herself (segment "Soleá")

Storyline

As a hall fills with performers, a narrator says that flamenco came from Andalucia, a mix of Greek psalms, Mozarabic dirges, Castillian ballads, Jewish laments, Gregorian chants, African rhythms, and Iranian and Romany melodies. The film presents thirteen rhythms of flamenco, each with song, guitar, and dance: the up-tempo bularías, a brooding farruca, an anguished martinete, and a satiric fandango de huelva. There are tangos, a taranta, alegrías, siguiriyas, soleás, a guajira of patrician women, a petenera about a sentence to death, villancicos, and a final rumba. Families present numbers, both festive and fierce. The camera and the other performers are the only audience.

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Plot Keywords:

dance | flamenco music | flamenco dance | 

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Taglines:

In the tradition of Riverdance, one of the finest and most stunning performance films ever made.

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

25 April 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Фламенко

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,766, 24 August 1997, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$384,374, 14 September 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+ España, Juan Lebrón Producciones, Junta de Andalucía

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This celebration of the Spanish dance form features over 300 performers.

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Soundtracks

Bulerias
Performed by Lole y Manuel

User Reviews

this review was meant for Carmen from the same director.

This is a wonderful film! Full of passion, music and drama. It follows the story of the opera of the same name. Even Carmen-haters will agree that this is a version that overcomes the boredom bred of familiarity and infuses new life into this overproduced work.

The setting is a flamenco school in Spain, and the search is on for the star of a production of a flamenco Carmen. The director finds, and then falls in love with his new leading lady. The complications arise from there, from some unhappiness on the part of the best dancer in the troupe who feels she should be the star and not the newcomer, and from the storyline of the opera.

The director of the film is the real-life director of one of the most famous dance schools in Spain, and the dancers, except for the character of Carmen, are members of the school.

The dancing is exciting and dangerous, the story, though very familiar, attains fresh vigor in the new setting, and is altogether one of the best films of the nineties.