'ANTONIO, THE DANCER OF SPAIN' BY PACO ORTIZ PREMIERES ON INTERNATIONAL DANCE DAY
The Andalusian filmmaker writes and directs this documentary that recovers the memory of the greatest Spanish dance genius of all time, based on the original sound of the recorded conversations between Antonio himself and his friend, the journalist Santy Arriazu.
'Antonio, the Dancer from Spain' will be screened for the first time on April 29th at the Saraqusta Film Fest in Zaragoza.
Seville, 21 April 2025.-
The documentary film ANTONIO, THE DANCER OF SPAIN, written and directed by Paco Ortiz, will have its premiere on April 29, International Dance Day, in the framework of Saraqusta Film Festival (Zaragoza International Historical Film Festival).
ANTONIO, THE DANCER OF SPAIN It brings back from oblivion the memory of the iconic artist who brought Spanish dance to the international stage, placing it on the same level as opera, music, and classical ballet.
For this purpose ANTONIO, THE DANCER OF SPAIN part of the conversations that he himself Antonio maintained with his friend the journalist Santy Arriazu; an autobiography recorded on cassette tapes that constitute exclusive material where Antonio recounts, in his own voice, the details of his personal and professional career. These tapes served as the starting point for the biography Arriazu published in 2004, and in this film, they serve as a first-person voiceover and a guiding thread for the fascinating story of his life.
The film combines fictional sequences in which the conversations that took place between Antonio and Arriazu between 1983 and 1984, played by the actors, are recreated. Juanlu Corrientes and Nestor Barea respectively; with the testimony of colleagues who have been interviewed for the occasion, such as the interpreters Nacho Duato, Ruben Olmo, Antonio Canales, Victor Ullate, Aida Gomez(dancer and former director of the national ballet), Carmen Roche and Carmen Rojas (Antonio's dance partners), José Antonio(dancer who directed the national ballet), Maria Rosa(dancer); and experts such as Marta Carrasco, Manuel Curao, Cristina Cruces, Julián “The Child of Oblivion”(youtuber, researcher and film expert), Maite Pulpón(living memory of the golden age of flamenco), Cristina Hereen, Rosalia Gomez (Antonio's exhibition curator), or himself Santy Arriazu(a friend and journalist who interviewed Antonio for his autobiography recorded the tapes). The interviews bring rigor and objectivity to a story that is also illustrated with an important selection of archival images of Antonio's public life and work, compiling his work and creating a great audiovisual document that demonstrates that in Spain there was a unique man whom everyone knew as Antonio, someone who never needed his surname to achieve success.
With everything, ANTONIO, THE DANCER OF SPAIN comes to recognize and rescue from oblivion for the new generations the figure of who, together with Carmen Amaya, marked a time of splendor in the Spanish dance of the 20th century. Abused by an era in which being different was punishable by imprisonment, it could be said that Antonio the dancer, flamenco dancer, choreographer, entrepreneur, artist, creator, universal figure and standard-bearer of the recognition of flamenco and Spanish dance internationally, he was the best ambassador of Spain during a turbulent time and, according to many, one of the geniuses of the 20th century and the best Spanish dancer of all time.
Produced by Sarao Films and The Panda, the documentary ANTONIO, THE DANCER OF SPAIN has the participation of RTVE, Canal Sur TV and the Andalusian Regional Government, as well as with the support of the Andalusian Regional Government. It is written and directed by the Huelva-based filmmaker Paco Ortiz, , and produced by José Carlos de Isla, who repeat the x-ray of Andalusian characters who have stood out for their artistic career, with such celebrated works in their filmography as "Marisol, Call Me Pepa" (2024), Forqué Award and Nominated for the Goya for Best Documentary in 2024 "Aníbal. The Architect of Seville" (2023), "Something Wild. The Story of Bambino" (2021), Carmen Award for Best Andalusian Documentary, "13. Miguel Poveda" (2015) nominated for the Forqué Awards, "Caressing the Air. Matilde Coral" (2016) or "Se prohibido el cante"(2019).
ABOUT ANTONIO THE DANCER
Antonio Ruiz Soler placeholder image, Antonio the dancerAt the age of four, he was dancing in the streets for a few coins; at six, he mastered sevillanas, and at seven, he made his theatrical debut. At eight, he danced for kings and princes, and at just 16, he made his mark in the Americas, triumphing in New York before turning 19. He perfected his style on Broadway and made four films in the mecca of cinema before returning to his homeland, shortly after turning 28, having become an international star. Antonio triumphed around the world as the great performer he was, but among other achievements, he is credited with having changed Spanish dance forever, leaving behind unique choreographies, performing in numerous films in Hollywood and Spain, and promoting the creation of a National Ballet, which he even directed.
Creator of the dance by Martinete, Antonio first brought the flamenco at the Liceu in Barcelona, and was the first Spanish artist to perform in the Soviet Union. A friend of Picasso, a regular member of the Marbella jet set, admired by Mikhail Baryshnikov, Charles Chaplin, Ingrid Bergman, Ava Gardner, Maria Callas, and Walt Disney; awarded as many as 58 important recognitions, including Gold Medals from dance institutions in London, New York, Sweden, Moscow, and La Scala in Milan, Antonio's dance has been immortalized forever in the 22 films that make up his filmography spanning America, Spain, and Italy, thus providing valuable audiovisual material for the study of his art.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Cross of Isabella the Catholic (1950)
Gold Medal of the Circle of Fine Arts (1952)
Vicente Escudero International Dance Prize (1957-1958-1960)
Extraordinary Gold Medal of the Círculo de Bellas Artes (1959-1960)
Gold Medal of the Royal English Academy of Dance (1962)
United Nations Medal of Honor (1963)
First Prize at the Paris Dance Academy (1963)
Silver Medal for Tourist Merit (1964)
Commander of Civil Merit (1964)
Gold Medal of the Royal Swedish Academy of Dance (1964)
New York World's Fair Medal (1964)
Gold Medal of the Moscow Dance School (1966)
Gold Medal from La Scala in Milan (1967)
Key to the city of San Francisco (California)
Commander of the Legion of Honor for Tourist Merit (1972)
National Dance Award (1972)
Gold Medal from the Spanish Institute of New York (1979)
Filmografia
1941 – Sing Another Chorus (Charles Lamont)
1941 – Ziegfield Girl (Robert Z. Leonard)
1944 - Hollywood Cantein (Delmer Daves)
1945 – Pan-Americana (John H. Auer)
1945 – All Star Musical Revue (short film) (Jack Scholl)
1950 – The King of Sierra Morena (Adolfo Aznar)
1951 – Fog and Sun (José María Forqué)
1952 – Duende and mystery of the flamenco (Edgar Neville)
1954 – Everything is possible in Granada (José Luis Sáenz de Heredia)
1954 – Neapolitan Carrussell (Carosello napoletano) (Ettore Giannini)
1954 – Andalusian Nights (Nuits andalouses) (Maurice Cloche)
1958 – Bread, Love and Andalusia (Javier Setó)
1959 – Honeymoon (Michael Powell)
1962 – Universe at night (Universo di notte) (Alessandro Jacovoni)
1962 – Málaga and the Costa del Sol (short film) (Matías Prats)
1963 – The first movement of the Spanish Suite (Manuel Gutiérrez and Fernando Pallarés)
1964 – A New Cinderella (George Sherman)
1964 – Spanish Symphony (Jaime Prades)
1967 – Antonio in the Nerja Cave (José María Quero)
1969 – Race Law (José Luis Gonzalvo)
1972 – The Three-Cornered Hat (Valerio Lazarov)
1973 – The Witch's Love (Valerio Lazarov)
1975 – The Bull Tavern (José Antonio Páramo)
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR: PACO ORTIZ
Graduate in Audiovisual Communication, film director and TV producer born in Huelva in 1978, founding partner of Sarao Films with José Carlos de Isla since 2012. As a director to date he has directed 5 documentary feature films: “Deportados. 1969” (2011) finalist in the Imagenera Awards, “13. Miguel Poveda” (2015) nominated for the Forqué awards, and best editing at the Asecan Awards, “Acariciando el aire. Matilde Coral” (2016), “A remo” (2017) shown in more than 15 international festivals and “Se prohibido el cante” (2019), of which he is co-director. He has also directed the short films “We Are the Rivers” (2017), “Cádiz, Beaches for the World” (2018), and “Llamando al cielo” (2019), which won First Prize at the 2021rd Short Film Competition of the province of Seville. In XNUMX, he won the Carmen Award for Best Andalusian Documentary for 'Algo Salvaje. Bambino'.
FEATURED FILMOGRAPHY
2024 – Antonio. A Spanish Dancer / Documentary / Director and Screenwriter
2023 – Marisol, Call Me Pepa / Documentary / Producer
2022 – Anibal. The Architect of Seville / Documentary / Director and Screenwriter
2021 – Something Wild. Bambino / Documentary / Director and screenwriter
2021 – Water Stories / Documentary / Director
2019 – Calling Heaven / Documentary Short Film / Director
2019 – Prohibited Cante / Documentary / Co-Director
2017 – A Remo / Documentary / Director
2016 – Matilde Coral, caressing the air / Documentary / Director
2015 – 13. Miguel Poveda / Documentary / Director
2011 – Deported 1969 / Documentary / Director
