Icíar Bollaín

Τhe centenarian tree and its value and symbolism in a time where everything can be bought, make for an optimistic film, written by Paul Laverty, Ken Loach's long-time screenwriter. It's full of feelings and misunderstandings, the stereotypical cornerstones of the Mediterranean temperament. — A 20-year-old girl lives in a Spanish village. She has a special fondness for her grandfather, even though he stopped speaking years ago. When he refuses to eat, she believes the only way to help him is to bring back the olive tree his family ripped from the soil and sold 12 years ago. Without a plan or money, she convinces relatives and friends to follow her in her quest for the olive tree that belonged to her family for more than 2 millennia.

The great Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta plays himself in a unique biographical film by the director of “The Olive Tree”, about the talent and stubbornness of a young child that allow him to travel from Havana to the Royal Ballet in London. Written by Paul Laverty, Ken Loach's permanent screenwriter. — Inspired by the life of the great Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta and based on his autobiography, Icíar Bollaín's film (“The Olive Tree,” “Even the Rain”) is a chronicle of his sensational life. From the streets of Havana, to the Royal Ballet in London, the leading dancer of his generation, had to overcome huge difficulties and break terrible taboos, to become the legend he is today. — Best Screenplay | San Sebastian FIlm Festival | 2018

When companies bought up the water in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in 2000, bills soared until water cost more than food. Icíar Bollaín and Ken Loach’s screenwriter Paul Laverty drop a Spanish crew shooting a Columbus film into it all, and two conquests five centuries apart collide. Plus Gael García Bernal. — In Cochabamba, Bolivia, a Spanish crew sets out to film the story of Christopher Columbus, taking on local people as extras. Beyond the gates of the set, the city is turning against the company that has just bought up its water, and the man they’ve cast as the rebel chief turns out to be at the head of the real uprising. — Panorama Audience Award | Berlin Film Festival | 2011