Handia

Great film. Delicious in shooting rythm and feeling. Beautiful history of Basque country characters deciding to succeed In the rest of Spain and even Protugal and France. All languages mixed like in real life then. Please have a look at "Loreak" if you wanted this one.

I get the reviewers here who don't get the touching nature of the presentation of the characters. The apparent limited warmth between the family members, called "salt taste" by one of the reviewers here, is Basque. I'd say that's the way they appear to us outsiders, that this is look into what makes the Basque culture unique is revealing.

I found the film visually stunning, the characters facinating, deep and wonderfully challenging to get to know. Here, a faithfully Basque presentation.

A an experience I hope I never forget.

Watched with Spanish dub and English subtitles.

Enjoyable Spanish film with melancholy , thoughtful events and being deliberately paced . A provoking story , being a heartbreaking expose of society , dealing with the world's tallest man, concerning a heavily disfigured man for his stature who is loved and mistreated at times , while scraping a living as a side-show freak . Having fought in the First Carlist War, Martin Eleizegi (Joseba Usabiaga) goes back to his family farm in Gipuzkoa only to be aware that his younger brother, Miguel Joaquin Eleizegi (Eneko Sagardoy) , towers over him in height . Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of kindness, intelligence and sophistication . Convinced that everyone will want to pay to see the tallest man on Earth , the beloved brothers set out on a long trip all over Europe, as he becomes a celebrated curiosity amongst London's upper class . But some businessmen only want whatever he can get economically by presenting his a freak . His sad life develops in spectacles and in a freak show and, at last , he protests to be treated like the human being that he really is. When time passes he has several physical deformities, including an oversized and disfigured spect . In the end , both of the siblings rage because blame each other over a distress .

This an unsettling and interesting film , a Basque-language period intense drama set during Carlistas Wars , being full of emotion , touching scenes and good feeling . Stars an intelligent and friendly man, but he is a really high person and society watches him as a monstrous because he is severely deformed . It is a simple , dramatic and intelligent portrait of two people , focused on brothership , friendship and sibling rivalry which ambition, money and fame will forever change the family's fate . This is an uplifting movie at times, too, not just a tear-jerker or horrific in showing man's suffering , as he attempts to regain the dignity he lost after years spent as a side-show freak. The picture is developed in slow-moving but is pretty well realized . The flick stands out for its melancholy and poignant multilevel exploration of alienation , poorness and despair . The story has a certain melancholic style , a climate of transience and sadness that spread the dispute between the two protagonists brothers . Visually it transports one into a dark, grey, nightmarish world but enriched by some colorful images thanks to wonderful outdoors . It's within this world that we come to discover true beauty , as the story progresses, he becomes the hero . Being actually a bold and courageous man, standing against the evils of modern society . It lies within one hideously deformed, abused and unfortunate soul who is being kicked around in this hellish existence . The screenplay, acting, direction all come together to create this extraordinary viewing experience . You really feel like you get inside this man and his tortured existence . The intrigue is whether these intertwined lives finally will eventually find and recognize . it is an incredibly hard movie to watch, especially after you realize what a sweet, kind, smart and innocent man Joaquin Eleizegi was, it is often painful to watch the way he's treated by some people . It packs a nice cast though unknown who gives good performance . Special mention for the brilliant and glamorous cinematography by Javier Agirre , being shot on location in San Sebastian , Guipuzcoa and surroundings , Basque Country , Spain . Sensitive as well as evocative musical score by Pascal Gaigne , an expert composer who has composed and conducted a lot of scores such as ¨Mensaka¨ , ¨Silencio Roto¨ , ¨Piedras¨, ¨Azuloscurocasinegro¨ , ¨Gordos¨ and many others .

¨Handia¨ is a story based on true events and it was very well directed by Aitor Arregi, and Jon Garaño ; being spoken in original Basque language and it it required multiple VFX and Chrome . ¨Handia¨or "Aundiya" (Alzo's Giant) had a world premiere in San Sebastian Festival's main competition . Production partners , Irusoin and Moriarti Produkzoiak , two of Basque Country's most active producers, previously set up at 'Loreak' or "Flowers . ¨Loreak¨ and ¨Handia¨ mark a further step-up in the international ambitions of Basque cinema ,Irusoin , Kowalski and Moriarti have already teamed with U.S.-based Tom Atencio, the manager of New Order for 18 years, and producer of 2007 docu-feature "Joy Division," to produce a fiction feature based on docu-pic "Lucio," a portrait of a legendary anti-Franco anarchist and master forger helmed by Arregi and co-Moriarti founder Jose Mari Goenaga . ¨Loreak¨ won the followings prizes : Cinema Writers Circle Awards , Spain 2015 Won CEC Award Best Supporting Actress Itziar Aizpuru ; Feroz Awards, ES 2015 : Best Actress in a Supporting Role , Best Film: Drama and Best director ; San Sebastián International Film Festival 2014 won SIGNIS Award ; Palm Springs International Film Festival 2015 Won Cine Latino Award Jon Garaño , Jose Mari Goenaga ; Sant Jordi Awards 2015 Won Best Spanish Film and Nominated Goya Awards 2015 to best film , Best Original Score Pascal Gaigne , being the first movie filmed in Basque language nominated for a Goya . While ¨Handia¨won Winner CEC Award , Feroz Awards, ES 2018 , José Maria Forque Awards and a lot of nominations , as well as ¨10 Goya Awards 2018¨ : Winner Goya Best New Actor Eneko Sagardoy , Best Original Screenplay : Aitor Arregi, Andoni de Carlos , Jon Garaño , Jose Mari Goenaga ; Best Original Score : Pascal Gaigne , Best Production ManagerAnder Sistiaga , Best Cinematography Javier Agirre , Best Editing , Laurent Dufrech ; Best Production Design Mikel Serrano ; Best Costume Design : Saioa Lara ; Best Makeup and Hairstyles ,Ainhoa Eskisabel, Olga Cruz ,Gorka Aguirre and Best Special Effects : Jon Serrano , David Heras This is one of the most heart rending Spanish films of all time. Be prepared for an emotional experience and an amazing story.

I generally don't like spanish dramas. Just because they are often about the same themes and actors are not that convincing (in native language).

But this time, I loved these actors. I watched it dubbed into spanish, though. But the cinematography is AWESOME. The theme is really interesting, different.

The problem with the movie is not that it is slow paced or it has no feelings. It has a lot of feelings, the vfx / proesthetics works is amazing also, but it is that not much happens along the story... I wish there was more than just the "person who is treated like an object to get money and that ends up being a sad and terrible for everyone". It's ok for a premise but I wish more stuff happened than just gazes and people with sad faces.

Anyhow, GREAT movie. I'd love to see more of these kind of movies that are more local and more culturally similar to the real spain than others that only want to imitate what Hollywood does.

One of films with salt taste. beautiful. but without the roots. you define it as a family story. or a portrait. or definition of loneliness. but , at the end, each definition seems not convincing. a Basque film. and that is all. the landscapes, the cinematography, the language are more significant than the story itself.