New York City Basque Film Festival: ´Nora´, ´Ander´ and ´Handia´
Euskara. Kultura. Mundura.
-
16Nov 202118Nov 2021New York
The New York City Basque Film Festival is back after the 2020 hiatus. From 16 to 18 November, three Basque films will be screened at the historic Village East Cinema on the island of Manhattan: ´Ander´, ´Nora´ and ´Handia´. With support from the Etxepare Basque Institute, the Basque Government Delegation in the United States is organising this festival with the aim of bringing Basque language, culture and film to audiences in the United States. All screenings will be in Basque with English subtitles.
On November 16, Lara Izagirre´s latest work will be shown in New York City at 6:30 p.m. (GMT-4). Premiered at the San Sebastian Festival in 2020, ‘Nora’ tells the story of the protagonist´s journey.
Nora is 30 years old, lives with her Argentinian grandfather Nicolás and regularly looks after her friend Meri’s children. She writes the horoscope for the local magazine, but her dream is to be a travel writer. After the death of her grandfather, she goes on a road trip along the Basque coast to bring her grandfather’s ashes to her grandmother’s side. Along the way, she will learn many lessons and experience unexpected situations.
The film’s screening will be followed by a live audience Q&A hosted by Lara Izagirre and Unai Telleria, Basque Delegate to the United States.
The next day, 17 November at 6:30 p.m. (GMT-4), the film ´Ander´ will be screened. Directed by Roberto Castón in 2009, ´Ander´ premiered at the Zinegoak film festival in 2009 and has come a long way since then. Now, New York audiences will have the chance to see the story of two men who fall in love in the Basque countryside.
´Handia´ by Aitor Arregi and Jon Garaño will be screened on 18 November at 6:30 p.m (GMT-4). This film, which tells the story of the Giant of Altzo, has garnered numerous awards, including the Irizar Basque Film Award and the Special Jury Prize at the 2017 San Sebastian Film Festival and another 10 wins at the Goya Awards. It is also the most viewed film in Basque in history, with an audience of over 150,000.
The 2019 edition of the NYC Basque Film Festival featured ´Amama´ by Asier Altuna, ´Margolaria´ by Oier Aranzabal, ´Urte berri on, amona!´ by Telmo Esnal and the documentary ´Jai alai blues´ by Gorka Bilbao. Between members of the Basque community in New York and film buffs from around the city, around 500 spectators attended the screenings.