a film by CARLOS SAURA

JBeyond Flamenco

“J: BEYOND FLAMENCO”MUSICAL / Spain / Spanish / 90 min. Directed by CARLOS SAURA

Release: AUTUMN 2016Domestic distributor: A CONTRACORRIENTEJ

The new musical from the legendary Spanish director

Carlos Saura allows us to experience the joy and strength of the

dance and music of “la Jota”. As in “Flamenco”, “Tango” or

“Fados”, “Jota” has evolved from a millennial traditional music

and dance, to new artistic dimensions. With his own personal

style, Saura continues to distill the magic and explore the

boundaries of art in its purest state.

Director & Screenplay:Carlos SauraProduction companies: Telefónica StudiosAragón TVTresmonstruosProducers: Leslie CalvoCarlos Saura MedranoGabriel Arias-Salgado Ruiz-JimenezAxel KuschevatzkyExecutive producers: Gabriel Arias-Salgado Carlos Saura MedranoLeslie CalvoDirector of photography:Paco BeldaEditor: Carlos Saura MedranoSound: Kike CruzJesús EspadaMusic: Alberto ArtigasCoreographer:Miguel Ángel Berna

DIRECTOR’SNOTESSome years ago, I wanted to make a musical about la Jota, the music and the dance of my homeland.

My friends kept asking me “when are you going to make it?”. Well, the time is now and I am actually about to start the project to direct a music documentary about it. I think that all my previous experience in musical films such as “Bodas de Sangre”, “Carmen”, “El Amor Brujo”, “Tango”, “Sevillanas”, “Flamenco”, “Fados” and finally “Argentina” in 2015, which dealed on the folk music of the northwest of Argentina, allows me to approach this new goalfrom the respect and with dedication and love towards this music originary from Aragon.

La Jota is folk music and dancing so powerful that has been able to attract renowned musical composers such as Listz, Saen Saens, Massenet, Falla, Granados, Albéniz, Tárrega o Bretón, among others great ones. Its influence is evident in most part of the Spanish geography: Castilla, Navarra, Valencia, Murcia, Extremadura and Andalucía. It is also still very present in Philippines and Latin America, especially in Mexico.

It is said that, and it seems to me very graphical, that “Jota” comes from the Arabian “Chotar”, that means to jump. La Jota is much more than mere jumping, is an unique rhythm, cheerful and contagious that has kept improving and perfectioning over the years. Nowadays, many dance academies are devoted to teach how to dance and how to sing it, but… how is la Jota evolving?

To us, this is the biggest challenge: to discover new possibilities for rhythm, to dive in the recovery of similar rhythms, both in the past and present.

My intention is to make a musical film that gathers the best existing material on this subject, leaving a visual document of exceptional value, about artists of today and others who are missing; orthodoxy and heterodoxy; songs and rhythms already considered classicals or that are still to come must be worthily represented in our work.

One of Spain’s most renown filmmakers with Buñuel and Almodovar, was born in Huesca, Aragón, where the music Jota has its origins. At the age of 23 he directed his first documentary, and since then has never stop directing films, documentaries, theater, writing novels or photo exhibitions. Director of more than 50 films, he has won all possible awards in Cannes ( except the Palm d’Or), in Berlin, (including the Golden Bear) and has been 3 times nominated for the Oscar awards among other innumerable awards.

His series of musical films are regarded as one of the most important creative achievements in recent wold cinema. With La Jota he closes a circle that he started with Sevillanas in 1992.

Carlos Saura is Comendateur of the Order of Arts and Letters of France, Grand Oficial of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Order of Isabel the Catholic in Spain, EFA award for Film Contribution and holds several Honoris Causa from universities all over the world.

CARLOS SAURA

WITH THE STELLAR CONTRIBUTION OF:

AMADoR CASTiLLA Dancer & Coreographer

FRAnCESCo LoCCiSAnoMusician

MAnuELA ADAMoDancer

MiGuEL ÁnGEL BERnADancer

VALERiAno PAñoSDancer & Coreographer

GioVAnni SoLLiMACellist & Composer

MiGuEL ÁnGEL REMiRo CuARTEToMusician & Composer

CARLoS nuñEzMusician

EnRiKE SoLiníSMusician

nACho DEL RíoSinger

SARA BARASDancer & Coreographer

VinCEnzo GAGLiAniMusician

Antonio SauraManaging Director Mobile: +34 671 380 750asaura@latidofilms.com

Juan TorresSales & AcquisitionsMobile: +34 635 431 270juan@latidofilms.com

Fabrizia PalazzoInternational SalesMobile: +34 628 936 032fabrizia@latidofilms.com

Giannina AntolaTV ConsultantMobile: +44 776 483 8240giannina@antola.tv

Óscar AlonsoFestivalsMobile: +34 675 526 497oalonso@latidofilms.comwww.latidofilms.com