HE author cinema, going beyond commercial criteria, reaches intimate rooms and celebrated classics. They form the central core of the Arniches Film Library and the Mediterranean Cinema Library, sanctuaries for film lovers in Alicante. In 2024, Together Goal Films will be showcased during the festival’s first quarter.
A private loop dedicated to the universe of American creators, from the award-winning Pacification by Catalan filmmaker Albert Serra to the musical documentaries of Santiago Auserón, and the bossa nova explorations of Elis Regina and Tom Jobim, are among the audiovisual gems screening between January and March.
Both theaters offer public screenings with a three euro ticket price and discounts for certain groups and subscriptions.
Showings take place at the Film Library of the Valencià de Cultura Institute and the Arniches Theater, every Thursday at 19:30. The year’s program kicks off on Thursday, January 11. One notable Spanish-director film to be shown this quarter is Spring Blessing, linked to Fernando Franco. It premiered in the San Sebastián official section in 2022 and received the Goya prize for its sensitive portrayal of sexual relationships involving people with disabilities.
Beyond the borders, February 22 marks Pacification. The Catalan filmmaker’s work unfolds in a French Polynesian setting that transcends traditional borders. It was selected for the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and earned two César awards plus three Gaudí prizes. On March 13, Orlando, my political biography will be screened, a personal work by a scholar of queer theory and transgender studies, presented as a letter to Virginia Woolf with a special mention in the final chapter. Berlinale’s Berlin Festival noted a premiere cycle concluding with What do we see when we look at the sky?, a romantic fantasy by Alexander Koberidze that won the International Critics’ Prize (Fipresci) in 2021.
Jarmusch’s independent cinema
The bulk of the Arniches Film Archive centers on reimagining the figure of Jim Jarmusch, one of independent cinema’s pivotal pioneers. His moody, often aimless protagonists inhabit a universe of misfits who intersect on highways and back roads. This cycle revisits and highlights the filmmaker’s early works, including his road-centered narratives where music plays a central role. The program presents the first five features of Jarmusch, complemented by subsequent titles that underscore the musician and poet character of his storytelling. Notable screenings include Permanent Vacation on January 18, followed by At the Weight of the Law on February 15, The Mystery Train on February 29, and Night on Earth on March 7.
Documentaries at Cinematheque
Akdeniz Cinematheque Culture Class, organized by the Alicante Mediterranean Foundation, takes place on Mondays at 19:00 and focuses on documentary cinema. It begins January 19 with A Journey of Discovery: Ocean Race, exploring the world-class racing and behind-the-scenes journeys of the five teams in 2023.
The program continues with musical documentaries drawn from the Global Voices cycle, including Women and Marta Lallana (29 January), a study of culture and music featuring old women in the Asturian mountains, followed by Elis Regina and Tom Jobim, which reflects the artists’ voices. The series presents 16mm archival footage, rare or unpublished, that documents the creative process behind Elis Regina and Tom Jobin’s collaborations.
Elis Regina and Tom Jobim in the documentary Elis and Tom, Only Your Voice Can Be — INFORMATION
The seed of sound, a piece by Juanma Villar Betancort on February 12, dives into the soundscape and rhythmic journey of Santiago Auserón, one of Spain’s most charismatic music figures. Cuba, Spain and New Orleans scenes are explored during Andrea Motis’s performance, while the trumpet wizard Ramon Torts is spotlighted on February 19, with a special concert in Alicante on April 26. Music returns with Mariscal and Trueba’s latest animated work, They Shot the Pianist, which documents the Brazilian pianist’s disappearance in Argentina Tenorio Jr. March 11 features new animated music projects, culminating in a two-film dance focus: Sonomarelated to Albert Pons and Xavier Lozano on February 26 about the company’s process for Veronal, and March 4 with My Ways Through Dance, examining Mariemma’s life and craft with Daniel G. Cabrero.