Eloy de la Iglesia
Encyclopedia
Eloy de la Iglesia was a Spanish screenwriter
and film director
.
De la Iglesia was an outspoken gay socialist filmmaker who is relatively unknown outside of Spain despite a prolific and successful career in his native country. Many of this films deal with the theme of homosexuality.
. His desire to follow a career in filmmaking was initially thwarted. He attended courses at the prestigious Parisian Institut des Hautes Etudes, but he could not enter Spain’s national Film School because he was too young. Instead, he began to study philosophy and literature at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, but on his third curse he abandoned it to direct children’s theater. By age twenty he had already written and directed many works for television sharpening his narrative skills. He established himself as a writer of children's television programs for Radiotelevisíon Española in Barcelona
.
He made his debut as film director when he was only twenty two years old with Fantasy 3 (1966), adapting three children’s stories: The Maid of the Sea, The three hairs from the devil and The Wizard of Oz. While doing the mandatory military service, he wrote the script of his second film, Algo Amargo en la Boca (Something Bitter Tasting) (1968). Algo Amargo en la boca and de la Iglesia’s next film, Cuadrilatero (Boxing Ring) (1969), faced problems with the Francoist censors and failed at the box office. His films did not attract widespread notice until his fourth effort, the critically acclaimed thriller El Techo de Cristal (The Glass Ceiling) (1970).
During the early 1970s, de la Iglesia was a member of the Spanish Communist Party; his films of this period reflected his beliefs and often centered on violent forms of social protest. His political leanings and the lurid subjects of his film made him a controversial filmmaker facing many problems with the Spanish censor under Francisco Franco
's regime.
In his films La semana del asesino (The Cannibal Man
) (1971), Nadie oyó gritar (No one heard her scream) (1972) and Una gota de sangre para seguir amando (Murder in a Blue World) (1973), he defined a sharp style, torn and impressionistic. During the period of democratic transition, these qualities were intensified to reach certain sensationalism, very typical of that period.
In the late 1970s Eloy de la Iglesia, associated with journalist and screen writer Gonzalo Goicoechea, tackled former taboo subjects in Spanish Cinema. El diputado
(Confessions of a Congressman) (1979), follows the story of a politician who is blackmailed due to his secret homosexuality and El sacerdote
( The Priest ) also release in 1979, deals with a conservative catholic priest whose sexual obsessions leads him to selfpunishment.
During the first part of the 1980s, de la Iglesia increasingly focused on homosexuality and social problems such as juvenile delinquency and drug addiction in films like Navajeros (Knifers) (1981), Colegas
(Pals) (1982), El Pico ( The Needle) (1983) and El Pico 2 (The Needle 2) (1984).
After the critical and commercial failure of Otra vuelta de tuerca (The turned of the screw) (19850, loosely based on Henry James
's eponymous novel, de la Iglesia returned to the subject of juvenile delinquency in La Estanquera de vallecas (The Tobacconist from Vallecas) (1987). As many of the young protagonist of his film, Eloy de la iglesia became addicted to drugs such as heroin and he stopped making films for fifteen years. Claiming that his addiction to cinema was stronger than his drug problems, de la Iglesia eventually kicked his habit and resumed his career making Los novios bulgaros (The Bulgarian Lovers) (2003), a film based on the novel of the same title written by Eduardo Mendicutti.
Stricken with cancer, he died on March 24 2006, age sixty two, after surgery to remove a malignant tumor.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
De la Iglesia was an outspoken gay socialist filmmaker who is relatively unknown outside of Spain despite a prolific and successful career in his native country. Many of this films deal with the theme of homosexuality.
Life
Born in Zarauz, Guipúzcoa into a wealthy Basque family, he grew up in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. His desire to follow a career in filmmaking was initially thwarted. He attended courses at the prestigious Parisian Institut des Hautes Etudes, but he could not enter Spain’s national Film School because he was too young. Instead, he began to study philosophy and literature at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, but on his third curse he abandoned it to direct children’s theater. By age twenty he had already written and directed many works for television sharpening his narrative skills. He established himself as a writer of children's television programs for Radiotelevisíon Española in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
He made his debut as film director when he was only twenty two years old with Fantasy 3 (1966), adapting three children’s stories: The Maid of the Sea, The three hairs from the devil and The Wizard of Oz. While doing the mandatory military service, he wrote the script of his second film, Algo Amargo en la Boca (Something Bitter Tasting) (1968). Algo Amargo en la boca and de la Iglesia’s next film, Cuadrilatero (Boxing Ring) (1969), faced problems with the Francoist censors and failed at the box office. His films did not attract widespread notice until his fourth effort, the critically acclaimed thriller El Techo de Cristal (The Glass Ceiling) (1970).
During the early 1970s, de la Iglesia was a member of the Spanish Communist Party; his films of this period reflected his beliefs and often centered on violent forms of social protest. His political leanings and the lurid subjects of his film made him a controversial filmmaker facing many problems with the Spanish censor under Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's regime.
In his films La semana del asesino (The Cannibal Man
The Cannibal Man
The Cannibal Man is a 1972 horror film, directed by Eloy de la Iglesia, and written by de la Iglesia and Antonio Fos.- Plot :...
) (1971), Nadie oyó gritar (No one heard her scream) (1972) and Una gota de sangre para seguir amando (Murder in a Blue World) (1973), he defined a sharp style, torn and impressionistic. During the period of democratic transition, these qualities were intensified to reach certain sensationalism, very typical of that period.
In the late 1970s Eloy de la Iglesia, associated with journalist and screen writer Gonzalo Goicoechea, tackled former taboo subjects in Spanish Cinema. El diputado
El diputado
El diputado is a 1978 Spanish drama film co-written and directed by Eloy de la Iglesia.Nowadays, the film is a portrait of the society during the Spanish transition to democracy times.-Plot summary:...
(Confessions of a Congressman) (1979), follows the story of a politician who is blackmailed due to his secret homosexuality and El sacerdote
El sacerdote
El Sacerdote is a 1978 Spanish film directed by Eloy de la Iglesia and starring Simón Andreu, Emilio Gutiérrez Caba and Esperanza Roy. The plot centers in a catholic priest who suffers a personal crisis when his sexuality is suddenly awaken. Unable to reconcile his deep conservative religious...
( The Priest ) also release in 1979, deals with a conservative catholic priest whose sexual obsessions leads him to selfpunishment.
During the first part of the 1980s, de la Iglesia increasingly focused on homosexuality and social problems such as juvenile delinquency and drug addiction in films like Navajeros (Knifers) (1981), Colegas
Colegas
Colegas is a 1982 Spanish film written and directed by Eloy de la Iglesia and starring José Luis Manzano, Antonio Flores and Rosario Flores. The plot follows the misadventures of two young...
(Pals) (1982), El Pico ( The Needle) (1983) and El Pico 2 (The Needle 2) (1984).
After the critical and commercial failure of Otra vuelta de tuerca (The turned of the screw) (19850, loosely based on Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
's eponymous novel, de la Iglesia returned to the subject of juvenile delinquency in La Estanquera de vallecas (The Tobacconist from Vallecas) (1987). As many of the young protagonist of his film, Eloy de la iglesia became addicted to drugs such as heroin and he stopped making films for fifteen years. Claiming that his addiction to cinema was stronger than his drug problems, de la Iglesia eventually kicked his habit and resumed his career making Los novios bulgaros (The Bulgarian Lovers) (2003), a film based on the novel of the same title written by Eduardo Mendicutti.
Stricken with cancer, he died on March 24 2006, age sixty two, after surgery to remove a malignant tumor.
Filmography as director
| Year | English title | Original title | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Fantasy 3 | Fantasia 3 | Original Script. | |
| 1969 | Something Bitter Tasting | Algo amargo en la boca | Original Script. | |
| 1970 | Boxing Ring | Cuadrilátero | ||
| 1971 | The Cristal Ceiling | El techo de cristal | ||
| 1972 | The Cannibal Man The Cannibal Man The Cannibal Man is a 1972 horror film, directed by Eloy de la Iglesia, and written by de la Iglesia and Antonio Fos.- Plot :... |
La semana del asesino | ||
| 1973 | Nobody hear her Scream | Nadie oyó gritar | ||
| 1973 | Murder in a Blue World Murder in a Blue World Una gota de sangre para morir amando is a 1973 Spanish film directed by Eloy de la Iglesia and starring Sue Lyon, Christopher Mitchum and Jean Sorel. Shot in English and set in the future, the film is a science fiction thriller... |
Una gota de sangre para morir amando | ||
| 1975 | Game of Forbidden Love | Juegos de amor prohibido | ||
| 1976 | The Other Bedroom | La otra alcoba | ||
| 1977 | The Creature | La criatura | Original Script | |
| 1979 | Confessions of a Congressman | El diputado | Original Script | |
| 1979 | The Priest | El Sacerdote | Original Script | |
| 1980 | Fear to go out at Night | Miedo a salir de noche | Original Script | |
| 1981 | The Minister’s Wife | La mujer del ministro | Original Script. | |
| 1981 | Knifers | Navajeros | ||
| 1982 | Pals Colegas Colegas is a 1982 Spanish film written and directed by Eloy de la Iglesia and starring José Luis Manzano, Antonio Flores and Rosario Flores. The plot follows the misadventures of two young... |
Colegas | Original Script. | |
| 1983 | The Needle | El pico | Original Script | |
| 1984 | The Needle 2 | El pico 2 | Original Script | |
| 1985 | Otra vuelta de tuerca>The Turn of the Screw | Otra vuleta de tuerca | Based on Henry James Henry James Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.... 's novel The Turn of the Screw The Turn of the Screw The Turn of the Screw is a novella written by Henry James. Originally published in 1898, it is ostensibly a ghost story.Due to its ambiguous content, it became a favourite text of academics who subscribe to New Criticism. The novella has had differing interpretations, often mutually exclusive... |
|
| 1987 | The Tobacconist from Vallecas | la estanquera de vallecas | Original Script | |
| 2003 | The Bulgarian Lovers | Los novios bulgaros | Original Script | |