Maixabel (Basque pronunciation: [mai'ʃaβel]) is a 2021 Spanish drama film directed by Icíar Bollaín and co-written by Bollaín and Isa Campo. The film stars Blanca Portillo and Luis Tosar alongside Bruno Sevilla, Urko Olazabal and María Cerezuela and is based on the true story of Maixabel Lasa, a woman whose husband, Juan María Jáuregui, was killed by ETA, a Basque separatist group, and who receives an invitation to talk with the killers of her husband eleven years after.

Maixabel
Poster
Directed byIcíar Bollaín
Written by
Produced byKoldo Zuazua
Juan Moreno
Guillermo Sempere
Starring
CinematographyJavier Agirre Erauso
Edited byNacho Ruiz Capillas
Music byAlberto Iglesias
Production
companies
  • Kowalski Films
  • Feelgood Media
Distributed byBuena Vista International
Release dates
  • September 18, 2021 (2021-09-18) (SSIFF)[1]
  • September 24, 2021 (2021-09-24) (Spain)
Running time
115 minutes
CountrySpain
LanguageSpanish

Plot

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Maixabel Lasa loses her husband, Juan María Jáuregui, in 2000 at the hands of the ETA. She later becomes director of the Basque office for terrorism victims. Jáuregui's killers have been sentenced to prison where they start to reject violence. Eleven years later, she receives an invitation for an interview from one of the killers of her husband, who is serving his sentence in a jail at Nanclares de la Oca in Álava, after cutting his ties with the terrorist group. Despite doubts and immense pain, Maixabel accepts the invitation and comes face to face with the man who took her husband's life.[2]

Cast

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Production

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The concept for the film came from the producers, Koldo Zuazua and Juan Moreno, who received a proposal to tell the story of Maixabel Lasa alongside screenwriter Isa Campo in 2018.[3] The film was produced by Kowalski Films and FeelGood, and it had the participation of EiTB, TVE, and Movistar+, support from ICAA, the Basque Government, Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa [es], and the collaboration of the Gipuzkoa Film Commission.[4] It was shot in various locations of Gipuzkoa and Álava in the Basque Country, Spain.[5] The music for the film was composed by Alberto Iglesias, Javier Agirre Erauso was the cinematographer and Mikel Serrano was the production designer, other credits includes Alazne Ameztoy (sound), Clara Bilbao (costumes), Karmele Soler (make-up), Sergio Pérez (hairsytling) and Nacho Ruiz Capillas (editing).[6]

Release

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The film screened at the 69th San Sebastián International Film Festival of 2021.[2] Distributed by Buena Vista International,[6] it was released in cinemas in Spain on September 24, 2021.[5]

Reception

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On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 7.30.[7] Juan Pando of Fotogramas rated the film four out of five stars writing that "Bollaín demonstrates a masterful command of her craft in this, her most well-rounded film".[8] Jonathan Holland from Screendaily commented that the film is "a beautifully judged and sensitive exploration of the emotional fallout of terrorism".[9]

Accolades

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2021 27th Forqué Awards Best Film Nominated [10][11]
Best Film Actress Blanca Portillo Won
Best Film Actor Luis Tosar Nominated
Urko Olazabal Nominated
Cinema and Education in Values Won
2022 9th Feroz Awards Best Drama Film Koldo Zuazua, Juan Moreno, Guillermo Sempere Won [12][13]
Best Director Icíar Bollaín Nominated
Best Actor (film) Luis Tosar Nominated
Best Actress (film) Blanca Portillo Nominated
Best Supporting Actor (film) Urko Olazabal Won
Best Screenplay Isa Campo, Icíar Bollaín Nominated
Best Original Soundtrack Alberto Iglesias Nominated
Best Trailer Rafa Martínez Nominated
77th CEC Medals Best Film Nominated [14]
Best Director Icíar Bollaín Nominated
Best Actor Luis Tosar Nominated
Best Actress Blanca Portillo Won
Best Supporting Actor Urko Olazábal Won
Best Original Screenplay Icíar Bollaín, Isa Campo Nominated
Best Editing Nacho Ruiz Capillas Nominated
Best Score Alberto Iglesias Nominated
36th Goya Awards Best Film Maixabel Nominated [15][16]
Best Director Icíar Bollaín Nominated
Best Actor Luis Tosar Nominated
Best Actress Blanca Portillo Won
Best Supporting Actor Urko Olazabal Won
Best New Actress María Cerezuela Won
Best Original Screenplay Icíar Bolláin, Isa Campo Nominated
Best Original Score Alberto Iglesias Nominated
Best Editing Nacho Ruiz Capillas Nominated
Best Art Direction Mikel Serrano Nominated
Best Production Supervision Guadalupe Balaguer Trelles Nominated
Best Sound Alazne Ameztoy, Juan Ferro, Candela Palencia Nominated
Best Costume Design Clara Bilbao Nominated
Best Makeup and Hairstyles Karmele Soler, Sergio Pérez Berbel Nominated
30th Actors and Actresses Union Awards Best Film Actress in a Leading Role Blanca Portillo Nominated [17]
Best Film Actor in a Leading Role Luis Tosar Nominated
Best Film Actor in a Secondary Role Urko Olazabal Nominated
Best Film Actress in a Minor Role Arantxa Aranguren Won
Spanish Screenwriters' Union Awards Best Screenplay in a Drama Feature Film Isa Campo, Icíar Bollaín Won [18]
9th Platino Awards Best Ibero-American Film Nominated [19][20]
Best Director Icíar Bollaín Nominated
Best Screenplay Isa Campo, Icíar Bollaín Nominated
Best Actress Blanca Portillo Won
Best Actor Luis Tosar Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Urko Olazabal Nominated
Best Editing Nacho Ruiz Capillas Nominated
Cinema and Education in Values Nominated

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "El Zinemaldia acoge este sábado la proyección de la película "Maixabel", que compite en la Sección Oficial". EITB Media (in European Spanish). 18 September 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Maixabel". San Sebastián Festival (in Spanish). Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  3. ^ Pando, Juan (April 22, 2021). "'MAIXABEL': ICÍAR BOLLAÍN NOS DA LAS CLAVES DE SU NUEVA PELÍCULA". Fotogramas (in Spanish). Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  4. ^ "La película 'Maixabel', de Iciar Bollaín, se estrenará en cines el 24 de septiembre". Europa Press. 2 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Traíler de 'Maixabel', la historia de la víctima de ETA que se reunió con el asesino de su marido". Cineconn (in Spanish). July 30, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Ya puedes ver el tráiler de 'Maixabel', la nueva película de Icíar Bollaín". rtve.es (in Spanish). July 30, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "Maixabel (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  8. ^ Pando, Juan (September 23, 2021). "CRÍTICA DE 'MAIXABEL'". Fotogramas (in Spanish). Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  9. ^ Holland, Jonathan (September 19, 2021). "'Maixabel': San Sebastian Review". Screendaily. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  10. ^ "'Maixabel', 'Hierro' y 'La Fortuna' parten como favoritas en la 27ª edición del Premio José María Forqué". Audiovisual451. 11 November 2021.
  11. ^ Blanes, Pepa; Romero, José M. (11 December 2021). "'El buen patrón' y 'Hierro' conquistan los premios Forqué". Cadena SER.
  12. ^ "'El buen patrón', 'Maixabel' y 'Madres paralelas' copan las nominaciones a los Feroz". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). November 25, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  13. ^ Romero Medinilla, María (30 January 2022). "Premios Feroz 2022: Mejor película, actor y actriz | Todos los ganadores y premios en directo". La Vanguardia.
  14. ^ "'El amor en su lugar' arrasa en las Medallas CEC con hasta seis premios, todos los principales". Cine con Ñ. 10 February 2022.
  15. ^ "'El buen patrón' bate el récord histórico de los Goya con 20 nominaciones". RTVE (in Spanish). 29 November 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  16. ^ Silvestre, Juan (12 February 2022). "Premios Goya 2022: Palmarés en directo". Fotogramas.
  17. ^ Aller, María (15 March 2022). "Premios Unión de Actores 2022: 'El buen patrón' arrasa entre los premiados". Fotogramas.
  18. ^ "'Cachitos' y 'Venga Juan', entre las ganadoras televisivas de los Premios ALMA a los mejores guiones de 2021". Vertele!. 24 March 2022 – via eldiario.es.
  19. ^ ""El buen patrón" y la serie argentina "El reino", los más nominados a los Premios Platino". Telam. 31 March 2022.
  20. ^ Mayorga, Emilio (1 May 2022). "Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz Win Prizes as 'The Good Boss' and 'The Kingdom' Sweep Platino Awards". Variety.
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