Poachers

(Furtivos)

José Luis Borau / Spain / 1975 / 82 min
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  • San Sebastian Internationa Film Festival (1975)

    Best Spanish Language Film

  • Silver Fotogramas (1976)

    Best Spanish Movie Performer (Lola Gaos)

  • Cartagena Film Festival (1976, Colombia)

    Best Film
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Spanish with English subtitles

An emotionally underdeveloped poacher’s first experience with romantic love. One of Luis Buñuel’s favourite films, Poachers boldly tells of an emotionally underdeveloped poacher, his first experience with romantic love, and his mother’s obstructionism. Inspired by Franco’s description of his Spain as a ’peaceful forest’, this cruel – and at times raunchy and brutally incestuous – film was denied permission to go to Cannes and finally opened in Spain two months before Franco’s death. While its subversion comes more strongly through its visuals than its plot elements, Poachers is a masterpiece of artistic control and emotional compression.

Press

“There is a marvelous spirit of mischief to Mr. Borau’s work, and an unusual delicacy to his gift for making things seem daintily unhinged.” – Janet Maslin, THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Strong performances, photographed with beautiful precision.” – TIME OUT LONDON

About the Director
José Luis Borau was born in Zaragoza, 1929. Director and producer of Spanish cinema he alternated advertising and film directing. His most notable films are Poachers (1975) who was his big success. After four years filmed Sabina (1979). Downstream (1984) was his most ambicious film, in english with an international cast. He was also president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1994-1998.
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