José Luis Borau, one of the great masters of Spanish cinema, dies

José Luis Borau, one of the most versatile directors and producers, has died at the age of 83 in Madrid.

José Luis Borau (Zaragoza, 1929/Madrid, 2012) died this Friday in Madrid when he was 83 years old.

Throughout his life, Borau cultivated his love for cinema in its different facets: director and producer, film critic in his early youth, screenwriting professor and recognized teacher for an illustrious list of filmmakers, producer, occasional actor, erudite cinephile, passionate and rigorous historian, director of a necessary competition (Madrid Experimental Film Week), editor of essential books, writer of short stories and literary nanny, president of the Spanish Academy of Arts and Sciences Cinematographic Companies of Spain (AACCE) from 1994 to 1998 and director of films fundamental to the history of Spanish cinema.

Recognized talent

Borau, who was an Academician of the Royal Academy of Language and who obtained the chair previously occupied by another famous person on the big screen, Fernando Fernán-Gómez, in 2008, has had numerous recognitions that demonstrate his excellent career such as the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián Festival for Furtivos (1975), Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (1988), Gold Medal from the Film Academy (2000), Goya for Best Director and Special Jury Prize at the Malaga Film Festival for Leo (2000), Member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Luis de Zaragoza and Medal of Honor from the Spanish Association of Film Historians -AEHC- (2001), Member of the Royal Academy of San Fernando and National Cinematography Award (2002), Tigre Juan Prize for narrative for his literary debut, Camisa de once varas (2003), or III Aragoneses Prize in Madrid, awarded by the Chunta Aragonesista (2007).

Cinema, his great passion

The cinematic spell probably began the day he was born, August 8, 1925, a date on which, coincidentally? Luis Buñuel would premiere in Paris The Andalusian dog and Florian Rey in Spain The cursed village, and continued with his first short film, The farewell (1959), produced with a budget of 750 pesetas, which told the story of a little old man who escaped from a hospice to say goodbye to the world definitively while walking through the streets of Madrid; leaving outstanding students such as José Luis García Sánchez, Pilar Miró, Ángel Fernández-Santos, Iván Zulueta and Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, among others, and indispensable films for Spanish cinema (We have to kill B, Poachers, Tata mia…), whom he adored and who presided over his Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain.