Víctor Erice

Víctor Erice first studied political economics before attending Escuela Oficial de Cinematografia in 1963 to study film direction. While at school he made a name for himself as a film critic and theoretician, and he began his professional moviemaking career as an assistant director. Thanks to producer Elías Querejeta he got a chance to direct his own work.

He co-authored and directed a segment of the story showcase The Challenges (Los desafíos, 1969), awarded at the San Sebastián IFF. At the same fest in 1973 Erice took the Golden Shell for his feature debut The Spirit of the Beehive, which pits the poetic world of childhood fantasies against Franco's totalitarianism.

After a decade-long hiatus, the director came out with another esthetically elegant and stylized picture, El sur (1983), which also picked up a number of awards. Although shot at more extended intervals, he continues to make documentaries and features of varying lengths.

MFF Karlovy Vary