Festival de Cine de Huesca - Huesca Film Festival

BASILIO MARTÍN PATINO, AWARD "CIUDAD DE HUESCA" 2009

The salmantinian director Basilio Martín Patino will be awarded the 2009 Ciudad de Huesca award in recognition of his career in the documentary field within the framework of the 37th Huesca Film Festival, which will take place from June 4th to 13th 2009. The filmmaker began his career in the 60s as part of the New Spanish Film movement and up to now he continues experimenting with the new media technologies and video montage. He always has remained faithful to his principles and personal coherence. Films such as Nueve cartas a Berta (1966) or Canciones para después de una guerra (1971) are essential to the Spanish contemporary cinema.

Basilio Martín Patino was born in Lumbrales (Salamanca) in 1930. After the studies of Philosophy and Arts, he moved to Madrid to also attend Film School. His two initial short films, El Noveno (1963) and Torerillos (1963) show in advance the way of his later filmography. His works are a mixture of film essays and fiction exploring new cinematographic territories. His first feature film Nueve cartas a Berta (1966), which won the Concha de Oro award at the San Sebastian Film Festival, had became in one of the most beautiful film documents of the Spanish Cinema.

A rebel gaze

His fight against censorship characterizes his early stage as director. The film Canciones para después de una Guerra was made in 1971, but not released until 1976.  Besides, Queridísimo verdugos (1973) and Caudillo (1974) were both made in clandestine conditions. The first won the First Prize at the Taormina Film Festival and the second was screened out of competition at the Berlin, London and Karlovy Vary Festivals. Other films as Del amor y otras soledades (1968) and Los paraísos perdidos competed in the Official Section at the Mostra in Venice. In addition, La seducción del caos (1991) won the Gold FIPA in Cannes.

The feature film Madrid, which won both the Bergamo Film Meeting Prize and the Grand Prize from the Troia Film Festival, is a reflection about social and political issues in Spain.  After the premiere of his latest film feature, Octavia (2002), awarded with the Best Film award from the Tiburon International Film Festival, the Valladolid International Film Festival screened a retrospective and awarded him the Golden Spike in recognition of his entire work. In 2005, the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences awarded him its yearly Gold Medal. In 2007, he also received the Honoris Causa by the University of Salamanca. Every year, the Huesca Film Festival bestows the Ciudad de Huesca award to figures that made a significant contribution to the art of cinema as Carlos Saura, Fernando Trueba, Bigas Luna, among others.

24/02/2009