The great teacher Luis García Berlanga dies at 89

The filmmaker Luis García Berlanga, director and screenwriter of films such as ‘Welcome, Mister Marshall!

García Berlanga, possibly the best director and screenwriter in the history of Spanish cinema with films such as Welcome, Mister Marshall! (1953), Placid (1961) o The executioner (1963) has died this weekend at 89 years of age.

Berlanga, as a young man, decided to study law and then philosophy and lyrics, but later, in 1947, he changed his vocation and entered the Institute of Research and Cinematographic Experiences of Madrid.

During his youth he joined the Blue Division to avoid political repressions for the position of civil governor that his father had played in Valencia during the Spanish Republic.

He debuted as director in 1951 with the movie that happy couple, in which he collaborated with Juan Antonio Bardem. Together with this, he is considered one of the post -war Spanish cinema renovators. He worked seven times with screenwriter Rafael Azcona.

His cinema is characterized by his scathing irony and his acids satires on different social and political situations. In the stage of the Francoist dictatorship he spontaneted his ability to make fun of the censorship of the time with situations and dialogues not excessively explicit but intelligent counter-rereading and managed to carry out projects as daring as Thursdays, miracle.

In 1986 he received the Prince of Asturias Award from the Arts and in 1993 the Goya for the best director for All to jail. Your movie Placid She was nominated for the Oscar for the best non -English speaking film in 1961. He has received the gold medal of the Fine Arts in 1981, the National Cinematography Award in 1980 and the Italian Order of Commendatore. He won international awards and awards at the most important festivals (such as Cannes, Venice, Montreal and Berlin). At the Karlovy Vary festival he was chosen as one of the most relevant filmmakers in the world. In addition, it had a countless number of national awards.

García Berlanga, who in recent months could no longer directly decided to stand in front of Lass Camera for a good cause: a campaign of doctors without borders to raise awareness about the pain of others.

Goodbye, teacher.

Filmography

Three songs (1948). Short film.

Walk through an ancient war (1948). Short film, co -directed with Juan Antonio Bardem, Florentino Soria and Agustín Navarro.

The circus (1949). Short film.

That happy couple (1952). Co -directed with Juan Antonio Bardem.

Welcome, Mister Marshall (1953).

Boyfriend (1954).

Calabuch (1956).

Thursdays, miracle (1957).

A tram is sold (1959). 28 -minute television short film, written by Berlanga and Azcona, and directed by Juan Estelrich under Berlanga supervision.

Placid (1961).

The four truths (“The four truths”, 1963), episode Death and lumberjack. Adaptation of the fables of Jean de la Fontaine in a Franco-Ilo-Hispanic-German co-production of excellent cast. The remaining three episodes were directed by Clear René, Hervé Blomberger and Alessandro Blasetti, and the original footage of the tape was issued in French TV with the title "Les Fables de la Fontaine" in 1964.

The executioner (1963).

The piranhas (The shop, 1967). Co -produced with Argentina.

Long live the boyfriends! (1969).

Natural size (“Life size”, 1974).

The national shotgun (1977).

National Heritage (1981).

National III (1982).

The heifer (1985).

Moors and Christians (1987).

All to jail (1993).

Villarriba and Villabajo (for television), (1994). Creator of the series and screenwriter, was directed by José Luis García Berlanga, Carlos Gil and Josetxo San Mateo.

Blasco Ibáñez, the novel of his life (For television, 1997).

Paris Tombuctú (1999).

The teacher's dream (2002). Short film.