Celebrated Spanish auteur Carlos Saura passes away aged 91
Celebrated Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura breathed his last in Madrid on Friday. He reportedly died of natural causes and was aged 91. Saura is considered to be one of the pillars of Spanish cinema and is often credited for being the torchbearer of art cinema after Francisco Franco's fascist dictatorship. The Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences released a statement after his death.
One of fundamental filmmakers of Spanish cinema: Academy
The Academy's statement read, "The Film Academy deeply regrets to announce the death of Carlos Saura, Goya de Honor 2023." "Saura, one of the fundamental filmmakers in the history of Spanish cinema, died today at his home at the age of 91, surrounded by his loved ones." He was about to receive the Academy's Honorary Goya Award at a ceremony on Saturday.
IFFI 2022 celebrated his work
In 2022, Saura was honored with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) for his phenomenal contribution to cinema. At the festival, his work was celebrated, and the auter's eight best works were screened too. Notably, Saura's The King Of All The World, a musical drama, also had its international premiere at the IFFI's 2021 edition.
Saura's foray into cinema
Saura began his career in 1955, and his first feature film, Los Golfos (The Delinquents), premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1960. At first, he made neorealist films but later focused on films with symbolism to evade censorship from the then-right-wing government. He earned global recognition with his third directorial, La Caza (1965), which won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Saura's distinct style of filmmaking
Saura grew up amid the Spanish Civil War and listened to the horrific stories of bombings and trauma from the violence; it was also depicted in his films. Coincidentally, these horrific events inspired him to make La Caza. He was known for his distinct storytelling style and cinematic treatment of emotional and spiritual anecdotes of repressive political conditions. His cinematography was quite distinct too.
Accolades and celebrated works
The celebrated filmmaker had won a wide range of awards. From winning a BAFTA for Carmen to winning four prestigious Cannes Film Festival awards, his name pops up in almost every coveted award list in the world. His notable works include Carmen, Tango, Peppermint Frappe, Cria Cuervos, and La Prima Angelica, among others. Carmen is considered one of the finest cinematic works ever.
