In 1985 I attended Film School on a full time course and was introduced to Luis Bunuel when watching L’age D’or and Un Chien Andalou as part of the curriculum. His style of film making and the loaded message were something I have grasped very tightly since, with approx 90% of his films on my shelves and about thirty books about him or critiques of his work.
In 1999 I moved to Madrid and was thrilled to learn there were to be many events in 2000 to celebrate his birth. I had read about the places these events were to take place in his Autobiography ‘My Last Breath’ and the John Baxter Biography ‘Bunuel’.
Semana Santa in Calanda - Aragon (which is the place of his birth) is unique to others in Spain as drums are played for 24 hours on Good Friday, the passion of playing them for long periods sees blood dripping from hands onto the drum skins. They signify the thunder storms that occurred when Jesus was crucified. Bunuel used the drums of Calanda in approximately 13 of his films. The drums would play whenever a character felt a sense of abandonment, loss of hope.
The Virgin (Mary) of Calanda
Calanda
Longinos the man who theoretically defended Christ
Calanda
Juan Luis Bunuel - La Residencia Madrid 2000
From the exhibition ‘El Ojo De Libertad’ - La Residencia Madrid 2000
Portrait of Luis Bunuel by Salvador Dali (Polaroid Transfer)
The Hand used in Un Chien Andalou (where the ants crawl out of the hole) - (Polaroid Transfer)
From the exhibition ‘El Ojo De Libertad’ - The Residencia Madrid 2000 (Polaroid Transfer)
