Tasio

1984 Spanish film
  • Montxo Armendáriz
  • Marisa Ibarra
Produced byElías QuerejetaStarring
  • Patxi Bisquert
  • Isidro José Solano
  • Garikoitz Mendigutxia
  • Amaia Lasa
  • Nacho Martínez
  • José María Asín
  • Paco Sagarzazu
  • Enrique Goicoechea
  • Elena Uriz
CinematographyJosé Luis AlcaineEdited byPablo G. del AmoMusic byÁngel Illarramendi
Production
company
Elías Querejeta PC
Release date
CountrySpainLanguageSpanish

Tasio is a 1984 Spanish drama film directed by Montxo Armendáriz in his full-length debut and produced by Elías Querejeta. Garikoitz Mendigutxia, Isidro José Solano, and Patxi Bisquert star as the title character, a charcoal burner and poacher, at different times in his life. The film became a staple of Basque cinema.[1]

Plot

The plot follows the life of Tasio, a poacher and charcoal burner moved by a deep conviction of living without being exploited.[2]

Cast

  • Patxi Bisquert [es] as Tasio (adult)[3]
  • Isidro José Solano as Tasio (teen)[3]
  • Garikoitz Mendigutxia as Tasio (child)[3]
  • Amaia Lasa as Paulina[3]
  • José Mari Asín as Luis[3]
  • Nacho Martínez as Tasio's brother[4]
  • Paco Sagarzazu as guarda[3]
  • Txema Blasco [es] as Ángel[3]
  • Elena Uriz [eu] as the mother[5]
  • Enrique Goicoechea as the father[5]
  • Miguel Rellán as priest[5]

Production

Inspired by the real story of Anastasio Ochoa Ruiz, "Tasio" (1916–1989), the screenplay was penned by Montxo Armendáriz alongside Marisa Ibarra.[6] An Elías Querejeta PC production,[7] the film was fully shot in Spanish rather than Basque.[8] This decision stirred criticism among some Basque milieus.[9] Filming locations included the Urbasa range in Navarre.[3][10]

Release

The film premiered on 19 September 1984 at the 32nd San Sebastián International Film Festival.[11][12]

Reception

The film was enthusiastically received by the public and critics alike.[8]

Diego Galán [es] of El País described Tasio as a "film of haunting beauty".[13]

Nina Darnton of The New York Times pointed out that the film "is undramatic and basically uneventful, but it is never boring".[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ Roldán Larreta, Carlos (2000). "En torno a la obra de Montxo Armendáriz" (PDF). Ikusgaiak. 4: 138.
  2. ^ Roldán Larreta, Carlos (1999). "El cine del País Vasco; de Ama Lur (1968) a Airbag (1997)" (PDF). Ikusgaiak. 3: 221.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Alejos, Nerea (22 August 2009). "El recuerdo de Tasio 25 años después". Diario de Navarra.
  4. ^ Argüelles, José Luis (20 November 2020). "El premio en recuerdo del actor Nacho Martínez deja de entregarse". La Nueva España. Prensa Ibérica.
  5. ^ a b c "Ficha técnico artística" (PDF). Un Día de Cine. Gobierno de Aragón. p. 6.
  6. ^ Oliveira Lizarribar, Ana (25 April 2025). "Una copia restaurada de 'Tasio', de Montxo Armendáriz, se proyectará en Cannes Classics". Noticias de Navarra.
  7. ^ Roldán Larreta 1999, p. 376.
  8. ^ a b Martínez 2023, p. 253.
  9. ^ Martínez, Josu (2023). "El euskera en el cine de los años 80: entre la falta de apoyo, la búsqueda del realismo y la condena a la diglosia". Zer. 28 (55): 253. doi:10.1387/zer.24665. hdl:10810/66370.
  10. ^ Caparrós Lera, José María (1992). El cine español de la democracia: de la muerte de Franco al "cambio" socialista (1975-1989). Barcelona: Anthropos. p. 270. ISBN 84-7658-312-5.
  11. ^ "El carbonero Tasio cumple 25 años". El País. 26 November 2009.
  12. ^ Fernández, Harri X. (25 April 2024). "La versión restaurada en 4K de 'Tasio', de Montxo Armendáriz, se estrenará en Cannes". Noticias de Gipuzkoa.
  13. ^ Galán, Diego (25 September 1984). "Una película bella y limpia". El País.
  14. ^ Darnton, Nina (27 March 1987). "Film: 'Tasio,' a Look at Village Life in Spain's Basque County". The New York Times.