The memory of Carlos Saura shone from the very first moments of the 2023 Goya Awards Gala, lingering in the room as a tribute to a filmmaker whose influence stretched across generations. In a moment charged with emotion, Manuel Carrasco’s rendition of a beloved song mingled with the presence of Joan Manuel Serrat’s family, Amaia Salamanca, Maribel Green, Leonardo Sbaraglia, and others who gathered to honor a legacy that would not fade. The entire hall erupted in applause that swelled into a quiet, collective moment of remembrance for a director whose work had touched filmmakers and audiences alike long before that evening.
Following the tribute, Carlos Saura’s family—Anna and Antonio Saura, along with their final partner, Eulalia Ramón—took the stage to receive the Goya de Honor on their father’s behalf. Anna paused to speak about her father, seizing the moment to declare a belief in art that transcends politics, noting that culture remains the most vital force worth championing beyond any ideology. She framed her father as a living example, a guide whose life offered lessons to people across generations and disciplines.
Antonio Saura reflected on his father through the lens of four women who left their mark on his life. Adela Medrano accompanied him in the early, uncertain steps of a film career, a quiet partner in the making of the craft. Geraldine Chalpin, recognized as a central figure in many of the director’s most celebrated projects, provided a steadying presence after challenges and storms—a stabilizing influence that helped him explore new directions. In addition, Eulalia Ramón stood out as a pivotal influence in the final chapter of Saura’s journey, guiding the transition toward minimalist expression, helping him confront fears, explore theater, and ultimately pass the legacy to his daughter Anna.
With revealed emotion, Eulalia Ramón offered thanks to the paramedics who attended to Saura in his final months, and she read a note of gratitude from the heart of the award ceremony: “Imagination is faster than the speed of light.” The moment underscored a belief in creativity that outpaces difficulty, a sentiment echoed by the attendees who recognized Saura’s enduring impact on cinema and the arts.
Shedding tears yet speaking clearly, Anna Saura described a sense of happiness and fortune in the chance to honor a father who had influenced a broad spectrum of talents. She expressed gratitude to the collaborators who stood by him, noting that some of them have since passed away. The shared sentiment was that imagination and storytelling have the power to inspire new generations of filmmakers who keep the flame alive. The ceremony left attendees with a sense that, if Saura’s body of work continues to spark creative paths and push boundaries, his influence will endure as a living beacon for cinema and culture. The overarching message was one of continuity: when great artists pass, their work continues to speak, guiding those who follow and reminding the industry of the values that shaped it. The Goya de Honor was not just a moment of recognition; it was a reaffirmation of the enduring power of film to shape memory, culture, and identity for communities across continents. In this sense, Saura’s career served as a bridge between eras, linking the past, present, and future in a shared artistic journey that resonates well beyond the stage of the awards ceremony. — attributed to the organizers of the Goya Awards and to the Saura family as a source of reflection and tribute.