It is not the first time that the director Paco Ortiz and its producer, Sarao Films, address a documentary about flamenco. After dealing with figures such as Matilde Coral (Caressing the air), Miguel Poveda (13) or Child (something wild)This time it was a unique character in the history of dance, a pioneer to whom justice has never been fully done: Antonio Ruiz Soler placeholder image.
After passing through Madrid, Jerez de la Frontera and El Rompido (Huelva), the capital of Seville has hosted these days the culmination of the filming of Antonio. The dancer from Spain, which will include archive material, interviews and fictional passages. According to Ortiz, although the idea had been on Sarao's table for some time, the final green light came when he discovered the existence of some surprising recordings: the interviews that Antonio gave to his friend, the journalist, between 1983 and 1984. Santy Arriazu. “Part of these conversations were included in the series Memories spoken word for the magazine Hello!, and would be the basis of a book published in 2004 and seized by the House of Alba under court order.”
The film recreates the confidences of Antonio and Arriazu, played by the actors Juan Luis Corrientes y Nestor Barea respectively, while relying on the testimony of fellow professionals such as interpreters Nacho Duato, Antonio Canales, Aida Gomez; Carmen Roche y Carmen rojas, Antonio's dance partners; José Antonio, dancer who directed the national ballet; the dancer Maria Rosa; and experts like Marta Carrasco, Manuel Curao, Cristina Cruces, the youtuber and film expert Julian 'The boy of oblivion'; Maite Pulpón, Cristina Heeren; Rosalia Gomez, journalist and curator of Antonio's exhibition; or Santy Arriazu himself.
«The film 'Antonio. The Spanish Dancer' reviews the intense life and professional career of the Sevillian who brought Spanish dance to the international scene, placing it on the same level as opera, music or classical ballet»
Antonio. The dancer from Spain reviews the intense life and professional career of the Sevillian who brought Spanish dance to the international scene, placing it on the same level as opera, music or classical ballet. Mistreated by a time in which being different could be punished with prison, this dancer, choreographer, entrepreneur, artist, creator, universal figure and standard-bearer of the recognition of flamenco and Spanish dance on an international scale, he was an ambassador of what jondo who carried the name of Spain throughout the world. And yet, he did not receive the recognition he deserved.
“His decline coincided with the Transition,” says Ortiz. “Then he was wrongly associated with the previous regime, it is said that he danced for franc or spoke well of him... Could one be any other way without risking one's freedom or life? There is a tendency to link him with the right and the aristocracy, and there are hints of flirtations with the Duchess of Alba, to the point of claiming that one of her children is from a relationship with Antonio. When Jesus Aguirre, penultimate husband of Cayetana de Alba, is appointed Minister of Culture, does not give him his place and condemns him to even greater ostracism. In fact, the National Ballet they give it to Antonio gades, and not the person with the best resume. And in flamenco“When one is known only by his first name, and another needs his last name, you know…”
However Antonio. The dancer from Spain, which has the participation Canal Sur TV, as well as with the support of the Junta de Andalucía, also wants to delve into other little-known aspects of his career, such as the fact that before succeeding in Spain he had done so in South America and the United States, often accompanied by another myth such as Carmen amaya“She danced on Broadway, made no less than four films in Hollywood, worked with legendary choreographers… All of that is unknown to the general public.”
«Mistreated by a time in which being different could be punished with jail, this dancer, choreographer, businessman, artist, creator, universal figure and standard-bearer of the recognition of flamenco and Spanish dance on an international scale was an ambassador of what jondo "Who carried the name of Spain throughout the world. And he did not receive the recognition he deserved"
In the skin of Antonio is the actor Juan Luis Corrientes, who just a few weeks ago received the Escenarios de Sevilla award for Best Actor. “Throughout my career I have played very special characters, such as Camarón, Bécquer, Saint Teresa of Jesus…And Antonio certainly is too. What I have done in the time I have had since I was offered this role is to immerse myself in him, to look for things where I could learn his mannerisms. He had his own style, I couldn’t leave it in the easy mannerism, he was much more elegant than that.”
The actor also comments that “his hands are very important, like when they ask him all kinds of questions and he looks great when he doesn’t want to say anything else. I wanted to express myself as close as possible to what he could be, to mimic him but with depth, because he is a very, very powerful character.”
“Then he comes to Spain and starts practically from scratch,” Ortiz concludes. “He makes films with stars like Marisol and directors like For what o Vittorio de Sica. Dance for Kennedy and the queen Elizabeth II of England, and he was the first Spanish artist to travel to the USSR since the Spanish Civil War, accumulating recognition at La Scala in Milan, in Paris... And he ended his days almost unknown in his country."
