Irish Film Institute -VÍCTOR ERICE SEASON

VÍCTOR ERICE SEASON

Despite a career of over sixty years, Víctor Erice’s body of work comprises just a handful of shorts, three feature length films, the most recent of which, Close Your Eyes, opens at the IFI on Friday, April 12th.

Coming to filmmaking from a background in film criticism, Erice’s output, though scant, has proved of such quality and influence as to cement his place in world cinema, and the appearance of a new film is most definitely cause for celebration. Both The Spirit of The Beehive (1973) and El Sur (1983) were shaped by his experiences growing up in Francoist Spain, and represent two of the finest cinematic depictions of childhood. Their influence is readily apparent in, for example, the work of Guillermo del Toro, whose The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) also centre on the fantasy lives of children in Franco’s Spain. Similarly, his study of the process of artistic creation in The Quince Tree Sun (1992) quietly, astonishingly captures the elusive in a way emulated in such films as Pat Collins’s wonderful The Dance (2022). Erice’s poetic, atmospheric, and beautiful work is to be cherished, and the pleasure at screening a retrospective of this master, particularly when accompanied by the rare event of a new film, is tempered only by regret that he hasn’t been more prolific.

Season Notes by Kevin Coyne

Multi-film bundle: 3 films for €35 – available at IFI Box Office (in-person or via phone 01 679 3477)

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