Borau, José Luis

b. 1929, Zaragoza

   Filmmaker and film critic

   Noted particularly for his successful anti-Franco film Furtivos (Poachers) (1975) in which he played the role of the civil governor, Borau has always aimed to broaden the scope and influence of Spanish cinema. An admirer of classic Hollywood style, his first films in 1964 and 1965, the Spanish- Italian co-production Brandy (a western subtitled El Sheriff de Losatumba) and the psychological thriller Crimen de doble filo (Double-edged Crime), were aimed at the international market, but had little impact outside Spain. Realizing the need for economic independence, he founded his own production company, El Imán, in 1967, and collaborated with such filmmakers as Zulueta, to make Un, dos, tres, al escondite inglés (Hide and Seek) (1969), Armiñán, to make Mi querida señorita (My Dear Miss) (1971) and Gutiérrez Aragón, to make Canada negra (Black Brood) (1977). During this time he also taught screenwriting at the EOC (Escuela Oficial de Cinematografía; Official Film School), and is acknowleged as having exercised a major influence on his colleagues and pupils. Hay que matar a B (B Must Die) (1974) marked Borau's return to directing and another attempt to exploit the international market. A political thriller in which the hunter becomes the prey, the film was a Swiss-Spanish co-production written by Borau and Drove, filmed in English with an international cast and then dubbed into Spanish. It was well received by Spanish critics, but was nevertheless a box-office failure. Furtivos, on the other hand, was a huge success. Described by Mario Vargas Llosa as "one of the cruellest stories in Spanish cinema" and ending in matricide, it was seen as portraying the reality behind the Francoist image of Spain. After a battle with the censors it was shown at the San Sebastián Film Festival where it won the Golden Shell award.

   Another commercial success, co-produced with Sweden, was La Sabina (1979) written with particular Spanish and foreign actresses in mind, and exploiting the clash of the different cultures represented by the characters they play. In 1984 Borau achieved his long-standing ambition to make a film in the US. Río abajo (On the Line) depicted, against a background of illegal immigration, the relationships between a young American border guard, a Mexican girl (played by Victoria Abril) and his rivals for her favours. But it proved difficult to distribute in America, was refused a showing at international festivals as being unre-presentative of Spanish culture, and its success in the home market was not enough to cover the costs.

   In addition to directing, Borau has been professor of scriptwriting at the EOC, and of film direction in Valladolid.

   See also: film and cinema

   Further reading

   - Hopewell, J. (1986) Out of the Past: Spanish Cinema After Franco, London: British Film Institute (a very readable general account of contemporary trends).

   - Molina-Foix, V. (1977) New Cinema in Spain, London: British Film Institute (a comprehensive overview of current trends).

   EAMONN RODGERS