Could there be a more exciting period in Spain than the 19th century? Miguel Angel Calvo Buttini documents like no one else. The first is in ‘El Siglo de Galdós’ as an unmissable excursion by the author of ‘National Chapters’. And now, with ‘Emilia’: where she walks hand in hand Emilia Pardo Bazan, Feminist as atypical as she is Catholic, highly freelance writer, a whirlwind of modernity. The feature film, which combines fiction and documentary, can be seen in cinemas from Friday, including in Galician cinemas. He has just passed through Seminci… and still awaits his presentation in A Coruña, the novelist’s hometown.
The director tells this newspaper: “We received an extraordinary response with my fourth film ‘El Siglo de Galdós’, I already knew about this author’s correspondence with Pardo Bazán, but in January 2021 I also saw the theatrical monologue by the artist. Pilar Gomez”. From this dramatic text by Noelia Adamez Y Anna R. Costa (represented by Neighborhood Theater) is part of this shoot: “I was fascinated by the personality of this Galician intellectual and, after researching this devoted women’s rights advocate, I saw the possibility of mixing fiction with documentary”.
Although funding was sought in Galicia, the expected support was not achieved and eventually a co-production between Madrid and Murcia was established. (Skip from Axis PC and Twin Freaks Studio). Most of the shooting was done on the territory of Galicia, in addition to the aforementioned autonomous regions and the city of Paris. He passed by Calvo Buttini’s camera, among other personalities, Eva Acosta As the biographer of Pardo Bazán, Xulia Santiso Author, as curator of the House Museum in A Coruña Marilar Alexandergender theory specialist Nerea ArestiMichelin star Maria Gomez (Magog) “since Emilia likes to write about cooking” or the author Martha Sanz.
Despite the director’s best efforts, the film has not yet been officially promoted in A Coruña: “I talked to the city council but they didn’t want to do anything, I contacted the Ministry of Culture but they didn’t answer me”. Yes, your support Pardo Bazán House-Museum wave Royal Galician Academy. A preview was made in Santander (closely related to the author of this book). ‘Los pazos de Ulloa’) in addition to presentations in other Spanish cities, “it would make sense to have a presentation in their hometown, but the town hall only helped us in the municipal archives”. The team also went to the castle of San Antón or La Tabacalera (where the novel ‘La Tribuna’ takes place), visited the Meirás country house and shot in other Galician settings, such as the Mondariz spa (Pardo Bazán’s summer vacation).
The flame of feminism was already lit in the theatrical monologue and continues to burn in this film adaptation. “The text presents very well the times when Emilia wants to enter the Royal Spanish Academy, when she does not accept it (the academics seem to be purposely made of cardboard here) and asks for clarification… she finally enters the Ateneo”, shows Calvo Buttini. The thing that the director likes the most is “radical in advocating cross feminism but equality in a catholic and conservative woman”. She considers Pardo Bazán “fighting against double standards in relationships, deciding to break up with her husband and do whatever she wants…it was a wealthy woman’s rebellion, but educated equally by her parents.”
And the journey goes like this: “Throughout the exciting time from the 1860s to the end of the 19th century, II. Elizabeth, Prim or First Republic”. Gunpowder on railroads and alleys for years, but also a brilliant courtesy: “Where people so gracefully insulted each other, everyone hated each other, but was also friends.”
Source: Informacion
