Gijón 2005

The winning film: "Ultranova"

The charming Atlantic seaside city of Gijón, in Northern Spain, is perhaps not as well-known as the Mediterranean side of the country, but is a very attractive location. The fest reached its 43rd edition this year. It has been an excellent reference for independent world cinema since the renewal of its directive team, around 10 years ago. It also had a good selection of American cinema, both North and Latin American, and a lively response from audiences coming from all over the country. The festival is considered the third major Spanish event after San Sebastian and Valladolid. Our first jury awarded the FIPRESCI Prize to Ultranova by Bouli Lanners (Belgium/France, 2004).
Details of the Prize

Reports.

Prefab Lives. Young Dimitri sells turnkey houses which, as Günter Jekubzik writes, are effective symbols of the prefab lives of the character in FIPRESCI-winner Ultranova. "The people in this movie seem lost and wandering...",  is a statement which seems to apply to so much modern festival fare, and it is perhaps a sign of cinema’s ability to effectively render that pain and suffering felt by an entire nation. Read more

The Xixon Sound. Diego Lerer explores the festival's unique mix of cinema and music through a series of documentaries exploring various music scenes and the lives of (mostly dead) musicians. He writes that "With its punk attitude ... Gijón ends up being one of the most interesting festivals dedicated to 'new cinema'". Read more

A Blurred Sense of Reality. Ruth Pombo writes about the importance of identity and the painful search for it in modern-day cinema, through films which mix fiction with documentary. There were many such examples at the 43rd Gijón International Film Festival. Read more

top