The singer Thomas Perrate stars Rite, the filmmaker's new documentary Emilio Belmonte, which is currently being filmed in Barcelona and El Hospitalet. This is the third and final title in Belmonte's flamenco trilogy, following Momentum (2018) and Trance (2021), focusing respectively on Rocío Molina y Jorge Pardo.
En Rite, Belmonte delves into the life and artistic transformation of Perrate, heir to one of the most influential flamenco families of Utrera, who did not begin his professional career until he was over 40. Before that, he ran a ladies' hair salon in his hometown for more than two decades. The film, shot between Seville, Barcelona and the south of France, follows the artist in his creative present, marked by collaborations with avant-garde musicians such as Boom! and with contemporary dance companies.
«With 'Rito', Belmonte closes a trilogy that wanted to leave an audiovisual record of the flamenco more current and frontier, one that challenges conventions without losing the echo of the roots"
The film is not only a biographical portrait, but a reflection on the flamenco as an art in constant evolution. "I always let myself be surprised by my career, and this film has been another surprise," Perrate himself told SPCBelmonte documents this transition between the ancestral and the experimental, between his father's heritage, Dog from Utrera, and the restlessness of a singer who today crosses paths with rock, electronic music and contemporary ballet.
Co-produced by La Pepa Films, Mallerich Films – Paco Poch and French Hapax, Rite It has been six years in the making. Its tour through El Hospitalet, with the recording of a concert with Za!, and its closing performance at the prestigious Arles Festival reinforce the project's international character. flamenco "It's always been permeable. It's made to merge, to reinvent itself," says Perrate, who at 61 is experiencing a moment of creative plenitude.
With this documentary, which will be released in a few months, Belmonte closes a trilogy that wanted to leave an audiovisual record of the flamenco more current and frontier, one that challenges conventions without losing the echo of the roots.
