BASQUE HERITAGE CINEMA

a short documentary

“As we launch into our 20th Anniversary of hosting the Basque Film Series, I thought it would make sense to learn a bit more about the history of Basque filmmaking. This isn’t just about what Basque culture is and means to its people, it’s about how the history of filmmaking has been impacted by the complicated history it has survived.” – the reviewer, BEO Board Member

“Basque Heritage Cinema” is an approximately 35-minute short documentary that walks the viewer through the cinematic journeys that articulate, as best as they can, the Basque region’s identity and politics. Director Rob Stone demonstrates not only the direct reflection of how the act of Basque filmmaking was impacted by its environment but also how the Basque culture was later expressed, whether by a single perspective of history or by romanticizing it. Either way, this film challenges one to carefully watch how Basque people are reflected in films and to really think about whether “being Basque” has been, or could be, truly reflected in motion pictures.