Carlos Saura Biography (1932-)

Full name, Carlos Saura Atares; born January 4, 1932, in Huesca, Aragon, Spain; son of Antonio Saura Pacheco (an attorney and civil servant) and Fermina Atares Torrente; married Adele Medrano (marriage ended); married; wife's name, Mercedes; children: (first marriage) Carlos (a director and writer), Antonio; (with Geraldine Chaplin, an actress) Shane. Avocational interests: Photography. Career: Director and screenwriter. Worked as a freelance photographer, 1950-53; Instituto de Investigaciones y Experiencias Cinematograficas (now the Escuela Oficial de Cinematografia), Madrid, Spain, professor of direction, 1957-64; Spanish Ministry of Culture, Madrid, Spain, filmmaker. Member of the Bertrand Russell tribunal on Latin American political torture, 1970s. Awards, Honors: Special Mention, San Sebastian International Film Festival, best short film, 1958, for Cuenca; Golden Berlin BearAward nomination, 1964, for Llanto por un bandido; Silver Berlin BearAward, best director, and Golden Berlin Bear Award nomination, both Berlin International Film Festival, 1966, for La caza; Silver Berlin Bear Award, best director, and Golden Berlin Bear Award nomination, both Berlin International Film Festival, 1968, for Peppermint frappe; Golden Bear Awardnomination, Berlin International Film Festival, 1969, for La madriguera; Jury Prize, Cannes International Film Festival, 1974, for La prima Angelica; Grand Prize of the Jury (with others), Cannes International Film Festival, 1976, for Cria cuervos; named film figure of 1977 by jury of Spain's Luis Bunuel Cinema Prize; named director of the year, International Film Guide, 1978; Special Prize of the Jury, San Sebastian International Film Festival, and Academy Award nomination, best foreign language film,both 1979, for Mama cumple cien anos; Golden Bear Award, Berlin International Film Festival, 1981, for De prisa, de prisa; Best Artistic Contribution Award, Technical Grand Prize, and Golden Palm Award nomination, all from the Cannes International Film Festival, 1983, Academy Award nomination, best foreign language film, 1984, Bodil Award, Bodil Festival, best European film, 1984, British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award (with Emiliano Piedra), best foreign language film, 1985, and Special Jury Prize, MontrealFilm Festival, 1986, all for Carmen; Special Jury Prize, Montreal Film Festival, 1986, for El amor brujo and Bodas de sangre; International Fantasy Film Award nomination, Fantasporto, best film, 1987, for El amor brujo; Golden Palm Award nomination, Cannes International Film Festival, 1988, for El Dorado; Golden Berlin Bear Award nomination, Berlin International Film Festival, 1989, for La noche oscura; Goya Awards,best director and best screenplay adapted from another source (with Rafael Azcona), both 1991, for Ay, Carmela!; Golden Seashell Award nomination,San Sebastian International Film Festival, 1996, for Taxi; Best Director Award (with Jun Ichikawa) and Grand Prix des Ameriques nomination, both from the Montreal World Film Festival, 1997, for Pajarico; Special Award, Camerimage, 1998, for "film direction with a special visual sensitivity"; San Diego Film Critics Society Award, best foreign language film, 1999, for Tango; Best Artistic Contribution Award, Ecumenical Prize, People's Choice Award runner up, and Grand Prix des Ameriques nomination, allfrom the Montreal World Film Festival, 1999, for Goya en Buredos. Addresses: Office: Motion Picture Division, Spanish Ministry of Culture, San Marcos 40, Madrid 28004, Spain.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Director, screenwriter
Birth Details: January 4, 1932; Huesca, Aragon, Spain

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Work
Director, Unless Otherwise Noted
El pequeno rio Manzanares(short documentary film), Infies, 1956
La tarde del domingo(short film; also known as Sunday Afternoon), Escuela Oficialde Cinematografia, 1957
(And producer and cinematographer) Cuenca(short documentary film),Estudios Moro, 1958
Los golfos(also known as The Hooligans, Riff-Raff, and The Urchins), Films 59, 1962
Llanto por un bandido(also known as Lament for a Bandit, Cavalieri della vendetta, La charge des rebelles, and Les bandits), Agata Films/Atlantic Cinematografica/Mediterranee Cinema, 1964
La caza(also known as The Chase and The Hunt), Trans-Lux, 1966
Peppermint frappe, Querejeta, 1967
Stress es tres, tres(also known as Stress Is Three, Three),Querejeta, 1968
La madriguera(also known as The Honeycomb), CineGlobe, 1969
El jardin de las delicias(also known as The Garden of Delights), Perry/Fleetwood, 1970
Ana y los lobos(also known as Anna and the Wolves), Querejeta, 1973
La prima Angelica(also known as Cousin Angelica), New Yorker, 1974
(And producer) Cria cuervos(also known as Raise Ravens andThe Secret of Anna), Querejeta, 1975 released in the United States asCria!, Jason Allen, 1976
Elisa, vida mia(also known as Elisa, My Life), Querejeta, 1977
Los ojos vendados(also known as Blindfolded Eyes and Lesyeux bandes), Querejeta, 1978
Mama cumple cien anos(also known as Mama Turns One Hundred, Mama cumple 100 anos, Maman a cent ans, and Mamma compie cent'anni), Querejeta, 1979
De prisa, de prisa(also known as Fast, Fast, Faster, Faster, Hurry, Hurry, and Vivre vite), Querejeta/Moliere, 1981
Bodas de sangre(also known as Blood Wedding), New Yorker, 1981
Dulces horas(also known as Sweet Hours and Doux momentsdu passe), New Yorker, 1982
Antonieta, Gaumont/Conacine/Nuevo Cine, 1982
(And choreographer) Carmen, Orion Classics, 1983
Los zancos(also known as The Stilts), Piedra, 1984
(And choreographer) El amor brujo(also known as A Love Bewitched and Love, the Magician), Orion Classics, 1986
El Dorado(also known as A peso d'oro), Iberoamericana/Chrysalide Films/Canal Plus/FR3 Films, 1988
La noche oscura(also known as The Dark Night and La nuitobscure), Iberoamericana/La Generale d'Images, 1989
Ay, Carmela!, Prestige Films, 1990
Sevillanas, Juan Lebron Producciones, 1992
Dispara!(also known as Outrage, Shoot!, and Sparache ti passa), Arco Films/Metrofilms, 1993

Flamenco (de Carlos Saura)(also known as Flamenco), Sogepac/Canal Plus, 1995
Taxi, Columbia TriStar Films de Espana/TF1 International, 1996
Pajarico, Ariane Distribution, 1998
Tango, Pandora Cinema/Teraaplen/Sono Film, 1998
Esa luz!,[Spain], 1998
Goya en Buredos(also known as Goya in Bordeaux), Sony Pictures Classics, 1999
Film Appearances
El pisito, V.O. Films, 1959
Himself, Kueloenboezoe helyek(also known as Different Places and Kulonbozo helyek; short documentary film), Eurofilm Studio, 1995
WRITINGS
Screenplays
(With Ignacio Aldecoa) El pequeno rio Manzanares(short documentaryfilm), Infies, 1956
La tarde del domingo(short film; also known as Sunday Afternoon; based on a story by Fernando Guillen de Castro), Escuela Oficialde Cinematografia, 1957
(With Jose Ayllon) Cuenca(short documentary film), Estudios Moro,1958
(With Mario Camus and Daniel Sueiro) Los golfos(also known as The Hooligans, Riff-Raff, and The Urchins), Films 59, 1962
(With Mario Camus) Llanto por un bandido(also known as Lament for a Bandit, Cavalieri della vendetta, La charge des rebelles, and Les bandits), Agata Films/Atlantic Cinematografica/Mediterranee Cinema, 1964
(With Mario Camus; author of story with Mario Camus) Muere una mujer, Mancayo Films, 1965
(With Angelino Fons) La caza(also known as The Chase and The Hunt), Trans-Lux, 1966
(With Rafael Azcona and Angelino Fons) Peppermint frappe, Querejeta, 1967
(With Angelino Fons) Stress es tres, tres(also known as StressIs Three, Three), Querejeta, 1968
(With Rafael Azcona and Geraldine Chaplin) La madriguera(also known as The Honeycomb), CineGlobe, 1969
(With Rafael Azcona) El jardin de las delicias(also known as The Garden of Delights), Perry/Fleetwood, 1970
(With Rafael Azcona) Ana y los lobos(also known as Anna and theWolves), Querejeta, 1973 published in L'Avant Scene, November, 1974
(With Rafael Azcona) La prima Angelica(also known as Cousin Angelica), New Yorker, 1974
Cria cuervos(also known as Raise Ravens and The Secret of Anna), Querejeta, 1975 released in the United States as Cria!, Jason Allen, 1976
Elisa, vida mia(also known as Elisa, My Life), Querejeta, 1977
Los ojos vendados(also known as Blindfolded Eyes and Lesyeux bandes), Querejeta, 1978
Mama cumple cien anos(also known as Mama Turns One Hundred, Mama cumple 100 anos, Maman a cent ans, and Mamma compie cent'anni), Querejeta, 1979
De prisa, de prisa(also known as Fast, Fast, Faster, Faster, Hurry, Hurry, and Vivre vite), Querejeta/Moliere, 1981
(With Antonio Artero and Alfredo Manas) Bodas de sangre(also knownas Blood Wedding; based on the play by Federico Garcia Lorca), New Yorker, 1981
Dulces horas(also known as Sweet Hours and Doux momentsdu passe), New Yorker, 1982
(With Jean Claude Carriere) Antonieta(based on the novel by AndresHenestrosa), Gaumont/Conacine/Nuevo Cine, 1982
(With Antonio Gades) Carmen(based on the novella by Prosper Merimee and the opera by Georges Bizet), Orion Classics, 1983
(With Fernando Fernan Gomez) Los zancos(also known as The Stilts), Piedra, 1984
(With Antonio Gades) El amor brujo(also known as A Love Bewitched and Love, the Magician; based on the ballet by Manuel de Falla), Orion Classics, 1986
El Dorado(also known as A peso d'oro), Iberoamericana/Chrysalide Films/Canal Plus/FR3 Films, 1988
La noche oscura(also known as The Dark Night and La nuitobscure), Iberoamericana/La Generale d'Images, 1989
(With Rafael Azcona) Ay, Carmela!, Prestige Films, 1990
Sevillanas, Juan Lebron Producciones, 1992
Dispara!(also known as Outrage, Shoot!, and Sparache ti passa), Arco Films/Metrofilms, 1993
Flamenco (de Carlos Saura)(also known as Flamenco), Sogepac/Canal Plus, 1995
Pajarico, Ariane Distribution, 1998
Tango, Pandora Cinema/Teraaplen/Sono Film, 1998
Goya en Buredos(also known as Goya in Bordeaux), Sony Pictures Classics, 1999
Contributor to periodicals.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

D'Lugo, Marvin, The Films of Carlos Saura: The Practice of Seeing, Princeton University Press (Princeton, NJ), 1991.
D'Lugo, Marvin, Guide to the Cinema of Spain, Greenwood Press(Westport, CT), 1997.
Sanchez Vidal, Agustin, El cine de Carlos Saura, Caja de Ahorros de la Immaculada (Zaragosa, Spain), 1988.

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