Carmen

To be clear, Carlos Saura’s “Carmen” isn’t the opera. This is a fascinating, lively, colorful film that even opera-haters will like. Its rhythm is flamenco rhythm: Antonio Gades, one of the greatest flamenco dancers, plays a choreographer who stages an updated version of “Carmen” by Georges Bizet. A volatile romance develops between him and the lead dancer, an extraordinary talent played by Laura del Sol, and quickly turns into an emotional rollercoaster. As time passes, the line between them and the characters they play gets blurred, and the hatred, jealousy, and violence in the dance seep into life – until the tragic ending.

This is a new copy of the Oscar-nominated 1983 film that also features dancer Cristina Hoyos and virtuoso guitarist Paco de Lucia. Carmen is a reminder of Spanish director Saura’s great talent and is being screened to mark the one-year anniversary of his passing.