ZINEBI – International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao – organised by Bilbao Town Hall – is making a start on activities ahead of the 65th Festival (to be staged between 10 and 17 November) with an encounter between female writers and directors, Euskal zinema eta literatura, tomorrow 26 October at Bira Kulturgunea (Calle Ronda, 2).

This event, which seeks to mirror the strong ties between cinema and literature in Euskadi, will be in a round-table format, featuring two directors and two writers:

  • Katixa Agirre (Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1981), author of novels such as Atertu arte itxaron (Elkar, 2015) – translated into Spanish as Los turistas desganados (Pre-textos, 2017)-, Amek ez dute (Elkar, 2019) – in Spanish, Las madres no (Tránsito, 2019)- or Berriz, zentauro (Elkar, 2022) – in Spanish, De nuevo centauro (Tránsito, 2022). She also holds a Ph.D. in Audiovisual Communication, and lectures at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
  • Director Asier Altuna (Bergara, 1969), responsible for feature films such as Aupa Etxebeste (2005), Bertsolari (2011), Amama (2015) or Hondalea abismo marino (2021), among others. He has also directed short films such as Txotx (1997), Artalde (premiered at ZINEBI in 2008, and subsequently screened at over 100 festivals), Zela Trovke – Cortando hierba (2013) or Soroa (2014).
  • Scriptwriter and film director David Pérez Sañudo (Bilbao, 1987), winner of a Goya Award for best adapted screenplay (with Marina Parés) for his first feature film as director, Ane (2020). He has also directed short films such as Agrio (2023), which will be in the next ZINEBI competition line-up, Vatios (also premiered at ZINEBI, in 2021), Un coche cualquiera (2019) or Aprieta, pero raramente ahoga (premiered at ZINEBI in 2017).
  • Writer and journalist Txani Rodríguez (Llodio, 1977), winner of the 2021 Basque Country Literature Prize in Spanish for Los últimos románticos (Seix Barral, 2020). She had previously published Si quieres, puedes quedarte aquí (Tres Hermanas, 2016), Agosto (Lengua de Trapo, 2013) and Lo que será de nosotros (Erein, 2012), and there is also space in her work for story books, comics and children’s literature.

    • BRIDGES BETWEEN LITERATURE AND CINEMA

    As Katixa Agirre points out, “over the last two decades, the proliferation of films in Basque has been accompanied by a larger number of books taken to the screen”. Among these, she cites adaptations such as the version by Imanol Rayo in 2011 from Bernardo Atxaga’s novel Bi anai (1985) or the film version by Jabi Elortegi in 2009 of Anjel Lertxundi’s Zorion perfektua (2002).

    This relationship, “far from breaking down, would appear to be gathering strength”, claims Agirre, pointing out new examples which continue to unite Basque literature and cinema. There is, for example, Elkarrekin esnatzeko ordua, by Kirmen Uribe, which is being adapted by Asier Altuna and Txintxua Films as Karmele; Bihotz handiegia, by Eider Rodríguez, whose film version is being created by Aragón director Pilar Palomero starring Antonio de la Torre and Patricia López Arnaiz; the film adaptation of the novel by Txani Rodríguez Los últimos románticos, with a screenplay by David Pérez Sañudo and Marina Parés, produced by Irusoin and La Claqueta as Azken erromantikoak; or Amek ez dute, by Katixa Agirre, which, directed by Catalan filmmaker Mar Coll (co-scriptwriter with Valentina Viso), and produced by Escándalo Films and Elástica Films, will be hitting film screens next year in Spanish as Las madres no.