THE BASQUE BALL- SKIN AGAINST STONE (La Pelota Vasca - La Piel Contra la Piedra)
By JULIO MEDEM
Spain | 2003 |115 min. | DVD | NTSC | Region 0 | Spanish and Basque with English subtitles
EDUCATIONAL SALE PRICE: $295
PUBLIC LIBRARY PRICE: $89
“With over 100 interviews and reels upon reels of archive footage, La Pelota Vasca is an incisive documentary on Spain, ETA, and the Basque region. Director Julio Medem (Sex and Lucia, Lovers of the Arctic Circle) delivers a fascinating overview of the torturous politics of the Basque area and the region’s notorious terrorist separatist group. Controversial in the extreme, Medem’s documentary has drawn sharp censure from the Spanish authorities, with Spain’s Minister for Culture branding the film "suspicious." Such a response is typical of the passions that the Basque issue stirs up. Medem’s even-handed approach straddles both sides of the political spectrum, treating the complex web of history, identity and politics surrounding his subject with great maturity." - Jamie Russell, BBC Radio
THE HIGHEST-GROSSING SPANISH DOCUMENTARY OF ALL TIME
AWARDS, FESTIVALS, & SCREENINGS
- Sundance International Film Festival
- San Sebastian International Film Festival
- London International Film Festival
- Havana International Film Festival
QUOTES
“The most controversial Spanish film in decades…an emotionally-charged documentary”
—The Guardian Fiachra Gibbons
“Julio Medem’s best film.” —Time Out Geoff Andrew
“A presentation committed to non-violence and political dialogue” — Screen International Jennifer Green
"Hard, honest, plural and necessary…”— El Mundo Carlos Boyero
"The film’s structure is impeccable: an impressive strong editing, creating a overwhelming rhythm which traps the viewer’s attention.”
— El Pais Mirito Torreiro
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