ICΙAR BOLLAΙN

Spanish director Icíar Bollaín and her partner, Ken Loach’s screenwriter Paul Laverty, explore the modern face of imperialism and colonialism. They do so through a poetic and politically sharp confrontation between history, cinema, and reality. — A Spanish film crew arrives in a Bolivian province to shoot a movie about Christopher Columbus and the conquest of the Americas. As the local Indigenous community rises up against the privatization of water, the film becomes a mirror of modern-day colonialism. — Panorama Audience Award | Berlin Film Festival | 2011

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