The South (El Sur, 1983)

Directed by: Victor Erice
Starring: Omerro Antonutti, Iciar Bollain, Rafaela Aparicio
Duration: 95'

Following the astounding «The Spirit of the Beehive», and after a decade of cinematic abstinence, the most seldom seen Spanish filmmaker returns with an equally cryptic, gothic creation which constitutes a new plunge in the dark world of adults, again through the eyes of a child: Estrella (performed by Iciar Bollain at the age of 15) grows up in an unspecified city in the North of Spain searching for her doctor «magician» father, who «disappeared» in the South. Through her memories and others’ narratives she re-builds his identity in yet another unique combination where the magic of a fairy tale is masterfully interrelated with History and reality.

Despite the fact that Erice was unable to complete the film in the way he envisioned it since filming was stopped almost halfway – maybe even for that reason – «El Sur» is a striking reflection on time, memory and our Sisyphean effort to portray the truth through them. It is one of the best films of the 80s (still unexplored by the majority of the public) and one of the Spanish film screen milestones. 

Lefteris Adamidis