Mourning for the death of Carlos Saura: "The last classic director of Spanish cinema"

Personalities from the world of culture and politics have lamented this Friday the death of director Carlos Saura, who died this Friday at the age of 91, one day before the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences handed him over in Seville the Goya of Honor.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
13 February 2023 Monday 20:15
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Mourning for the death of Carlos Saura: "The last classic director of Spanish cinema"

Personalities from the world of culture and politics have lamented this Friday the death of director Carlos Saura, who died this Friday at the age of 91, one day before the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences handed him over in Seville the Goya of Honor.

After learning of the death of the director, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has praised the "fundamental figure" of Spanish culture that has been Saura. "His talent is and will always be the cultural heritage of our history thanks to unforgettable films such as 'Ay, Carmela' or 'La cousin Angélica'. We say goodbye to the director of imagination, but his cinema remains," Sánchez said in a publication. on his Twitter account.

The Film Academy will honor Carlos Saura this Saturday during the Goya Awards gala to be held in Seville, an event in which he was to receive the Goya de Honor. "He was an unrepeatable creator," says the institution in a tweet.

For his part, the president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has highlighted the "indispensable figure" in the history of Spanish cinema of Carlos Saura and has transferred his affection "to his family and to the entire family of the cinematographic arts".

The Ministry of Culture and Sports have also mourned the death of the director, stressing that his contribution to Spanish cinema will remain "invaluable" and that he was awarded "countless" prizes such as the 1980 National Film Award and the Gold Medal for merit in Fine Arts 1991.

Thus, the Minister of Culture and Sports, Miquel Iceta, who mentioned that Saura was a filmmaker, photographer, set designer and total artist, pointed out that his career received "every prize imaginable, and above all, love, appreciation and everyone's recognition."

Along the same lines, the president of Aragon, Javier Lambán, has stressed that Saura has already entered the history of "the best Spanish and Aragonese culture, in the wake of Goya and Buñuel". "I have been dealing with him in recent years, out of a deep admiration for him," he recalled.

Besides. The mayor of Huesca, Luis Felipe, has highlighted the intense relationship that the filmmaker always maintained with his hometown: "A relationship that is reflected, for example, in the Carlos Saura City of Huesca Award at the Huesca International Film Festival. A prize that he always delivered personally".

The Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Pilar Alegría, has conveyed this Friday the Government's condolences to the family of the Aragonese filmmaker and has assured that "he leaves a fundamental legacy in the cinema".

Malaga actor Antonio Banderas has stated that with Carlos Saura "a very important part of the history of Spanish cinema dies" and has highlighted that the filmmaker "leaves behind him an essential work for deep reflection on the behavior of the human being". "Rest in peace friend", he pointed out, while his colleague Hugo Silva shared a fragment of the Carlos Saura film 'Sevillanas' (1992), with Lola Flores.

"Carlos Saura, whom I met during the filming of his last film in Atapuerca and among the bison, has died. In those days I thought: I want to be like Carlos Saura when I am his age. (These days I draw what I called them I keep as a treasure)", recalled paleontologist Juan Luis Arsuaga.

For his part, the film producer Agustín Almodóvar has also echoed the news of the death of Carlos Saura, whom he considers "the last classic director of Spanish cinema".

"Have a good trip" wished the "maestro" the actor Óscar Jaenada, while the director of the television program 'Días de Cine', Gerardo Sánchez, said "goodbye to a film giant". "Goodbye Carlos Saura", he has indicated himself.

Likewise, the film and television producer Enrique López Lavigne has declared "for eternity Carlos Saura", while the Círculo de Bellas Artes has lamented "the sad news of the death of the great Spanish filmmaker", sending "a hug to his relatives and friends".

Rodrigo Cortés, director, producer, and screenwriter, has written a few words in his memory on ABC, under the title Carlos I the Stubborn, Last King of Aragon. "Saura had the eye of a photographer and the soul of a painter. Bored so many times with himself to be able to do the same thing differently, he reinvented himself as much as he could and as many times as he wanted, from board to board and from bard to verse, from oil to wave and from rhythm in reason", has written.

The Film Academy has also "deeply" regretted the death of Carlos Saura, Goya de Honor 2023, "one of the fundamental filmmakers in the history of Spanish cinema."

The Fundación Artistas e Intérpretes Sociedad de Gestión (Aisge) have recalled how last week they celebrated the Goya of Honor for Carlos Saura with an illustration. "Did we do wrong to get ahead of ourselves? The filmmaker leaves us today, one day after receiving the award. Actually we did the right thing: it was not necessary for him to raise the trophy for us to celebrate (once again) his art", he pointed out .

"Goodbye maestro. Deep sadness for the death of the great filmmaker Carlos Saura. He leaves us with his latest film 'La paredes hablan' (presented at

The Antonio Gades Foundation and Company also mourns the loss of the "great filmmaker". "With his departure, a unique page in the history of our cinema and our culture closes. Our hug and affection for all his family and friends," he said.