Documentaries
First, a very interesting and juicy project. Once again, Juanmi Gutierrez brought out in the documentary Oihalak a very different reality from what has been known so far. With scarce resources, but as in previous works, with important creative work. When an Armenian wants his most hidden desires to be fulfilled, he hangs a piece of cloth from the branches of “desire trees”. To the Guipuzkoan director, this tradition has served as a title for his last documentary, Oihalak, on the branches. This work brings us closer to the reality of the Armenian people from a historical, geographical and migratory perspective. The production Gutik zura (directed by Mari Jose Barriola and guided by Jon Maia) offers us the opportunity to show the value that has had, has and will have the relationship between the forest, wood and Basque society. Traveling from antiquity to the future and explaining the relationship between man and wood on this earth. In the first work Irrintziaren oihartzunak, by Iratxe Fresneda, we had the opportunity to meet Mirentxu Loiarte, one of the most daring pioneers of European cinema. The echoes of the Irrintzi are a look that seeks to explore the memory and the work of the Navarre filmmaker, an account of a meeting, a search for a treasure of flesh and bone: from a character with difficulties to remember or who does not want recordar.No we can forget that thanks to Eriz Zapirain Gausionr opens its doors, we have had the opportunity to see a chronicle about an origin, as it tells us about the creation of Dunilukalegaria. Two of the strongest supports of the work: on the one hand, history itself; through many interviewees, it will make us direct witnesses of this hard, beautiful and rewarding creation. And on the other hand, it's technically excellent, simple but very tidy.

And finally – although it moves between documentaries and fiction – the freshest, funniest and most famous proposal, winner of this year’s Zinemira Prize: Pedaló. The Eibarrés director, Juan Palacios, has put Jon, Joseba and Eneko on the Basque coast to witness. After buying a pedaling over the Internet, they will depart from Biarritz to Bilbao, on a crazy journey that will last about 20 days and last for a few days. With very little, we have been shown that special, nice and different production can be done.

Fiction films have also been featured projects in the
field of Fiction. A curious and attractive work by Koldo Almandoz, for example. Released in Rotterdam, Sipo Phantasma is a story about shipwrecks, vampires, loves and cine.Bram Stoker, Murnau, Oscar Wilde and Nosferatu are some of the issues to which he has referred, among others, the scandalous presence of Florence Balcombe (Maider Intxauspe). Also notable is Mara, by David Aguilar. The images, the assembly, the sound and, above all, the deficiencies of the words, have made them merge in a magnificent way, creating a very difficult atmosphere to describe through words. And finally, Igelak. Although I found it very irregular, I found it a pleasure to see this third work by Patxo Telleria. Because in 97 minutes, it's given me the opportunity to live a pretty entertaining moment. A proper interpretation, because it has given me the opportunity to end well-rooted musical moments and with a small smile. After all, listening to our language on the big screen is always a joy.

The
Zinemira section also presents the 7 short films from the Kimuak 2016 catalog (selection of short films made in the Basque Country). The documentary short film Uncovered hormek was signed by the collective Las chicas de Pasaik, formed by the directors María Elorza and Maider Fernández. The authors have departed from the walls of their houses to reflect on the space of women. The Donostia filmmaker Asier Urbieta has presented at the Zinemaldia de Donostia the political thriller False Flag. Eneko Sagardoy and Maarten Dannenberg lead the cast. The project, called Beti bezperako koplak and coordinated by Begoña Vicario, is the interpretation of a verse by Maialen Lujanbio in the thread of the coplas on the eve of Santa Ageda. Using the rhythm and metric of Santa Águeda's melody, she denounces gender-based violence hard and dry. The drama Caminan, directed by Mikel Rueda, also known in the field of short films, has as protagonists Maribel Verdú and Germán Alcarazu and shows two solitary characters who are at the center of nowhere. The section is composed of Hileta de Kepa Sojo, Ihesa de Alejandro Díaz Castaño y Expansión, by Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga.

Question of the million, when can you see all these jobs? Given that the commercial journey you are going to have will be very small, negligible?, to give a slightly complicated answer. I hope that the frog will have the opportunity to see it in the cinemas, but I predict that with the rest it will be practically impossible. With a little luck, we will be able to see it in the villages’ houses of culture, in alternative circuits, in special cycles or perhaps on television. But as on many other occasions, they risk getting lost in ostracism. When I say that Basque cinema is healthy, they have no choice but to trust me.