My 25 best spanish directors
by jojitogij | created - 17 Apr 2012 | updated - 31 Jan 2014 | Public
1. Alejandro Amenábar
Writer | The Others
Is the son of a Spanish mother and a Chilean father. His family moved back to Spain when he was 1 year old, and he grew up and studied in Madrid. He wrote, produced and directed his first short film La cabeza at the age of 19, and he was 23 when he directed his feature debut Thesis (1996). His film ...
2. Mario Camus
Director | Young Sánchez
Camus started studying Law, but soon left his studies to enter the IIEC (now EOC) in 1956, where he got a director's diploma in 1963 with the training film El borracho (1962) and, finally, ended up as a professor. He worked with Carlos Saura in several screenplays during the early 60s (The ...
3. José Luis Garci
Director | Canción de cuna
Born on January 20th of 1944 in Madrid, Spain, José Luis Garci is without a doubt one of the most influential film personalities in the history of film in Spain and perhaps the best known writer in the country. He has left a distinguished talent in his successful movies throughout the years: La ...
4. Luis García Berlanga
Writer | El verdugo
Berlanga commenced his studies in Valencia in1928, although in 1929 his family sent him and his brother Fernando (due to a lung disease) to the Beau-soleil hospital school in Switzerland. In 1930, he returned to the San José School in Valencia where he stayed until 1931, the year in which the ...
5. Benito Zambrano
Director | Intemperie
Born in the South of Spain, Benito Zambrano first studied drama for three years with a view to becoming a theater director. He then worked for the Spanish television as a photographer and a camera operator. After a while, he felt the urge to turn to movie-making. This was the early 1990s and, as ...
6. Jaume Balagueró
Director | [Rec]
Jaume Balagueró was born on November 2, 1968 in Lleida, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for REC (2007), Sleep Tight (2011) and The Nameless (1999).
7. José Luis Cuerda
Director | Los girasoles ciegos
José Luis Cuerda was born on February 18, 1947 in Albacete, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Los girasoles ciegos (2008), Butterfly (1999) and The Others (2001). He died on February 4, 2020 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
8. Jaime de Armiñán
Writer | Mi querida señorita
Jaime de Armiñán was born on March 9, 1927 in Madrid, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for My Dearest Senorita (1972), The Nest (1980) and El amor del capitán Brando (1974). He was married to Elena Santonja. He died on April 9, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
9. Narciso Ibáñez Serrador
Writer | ¿Quién puede matar a un niño?
Narciso Ibáñez Serrador was born on July 4, 1935 in Montevideo, Uruguay. He was a writer and director, known for Who Can Kill a Child? (1976), The House That Screamed (1969) and Historias para no dormir (1966). He was married to Adriana Gardiazábal and Diana Nauta. He died on June 7, 2019 in Madrid...
10. Juan Antonio Bardem
Writer | Calle Mayor
Juan Antonio Bardem was born on June 2, 1922 in Madrid, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for Main Street (1956), Los inocentes (1963) and Vengeance (1958). He was married to María Aguado Barbado. He died on October 30, 2002 in Madrid, Spain.
11. Enrique Urbizu
Director | La caja 507
Enrique Urbizu was born in 1962 in Bilbao, Vizcaya, País Vasco, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for La caja 507 (2002), No Rest for the Wicked (2011) and La vida mancha (2003).
12. Álex de la Iglesia
Director | El bar
Álex de la Iglesia is one of the most popular and respected European filmmakers of his generation. Considered a genre of his own, based on his skill and originality in a range of cinematographic art styles, he has currently finished shooting the second season of "30 Coins", the successful HBO Max ...
13. Pedro Almodóvar
Writer | Hable con ella
The most internationally acclaimed Spanish filmmaker since Luis Buñuel was born in a small town (Calzada de Calatrava) in the impoverished Spanish region of La Mancha. He arrived in Madrid in 1968, and survived by selling used items in the flea-market called El Rastro. Almodóvar couldn't study ...
14. David Trueba
Director | La buena vida
David Trueba was born on September 10, 1969 in Madrid, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for The Good Life (1996), Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed (2013) and Soldiers of Salamina (2003).
15. Fernando León de Aranoa
Writer | A Perfect Day
Fernando León de Aranoa was born on May 26, 1968 in Madrid, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for A Perfect Day (2015), The Good Boss (2021) and Mondays in the Sun (2002).
16. Julio Medem
Director | Lucía y el sexo
Julio Medem was born in San Sebastian in northern Spain. As a teenager Medem made short movies with a super-8 camera owned by his father. Some of those films are "El ciego" (1976), "El jueves pasado" (1977) and "Fideos" (1979.) Wanting to know more about the darkest corners of the human mind, Medem...
17. Vicente Aranda
Director | Amantes
Vicente Aranda was born on November 9, 1926 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Lovers: A True Story (1991), El Lute: Run for Your Life (1987) and The Maidens' Conspiracy (2006). He was married to Teresa Font. He died on May 26, 2015 in Madrid, Spain.
18. Montxo Armendáriz
Director | Silencio roto
Montxo Armendáriz was born on January 27, 1949 in Olleta, Navarra, Spain. He is a director and writer, known for Broken Silence (2001), Secrets of the Heart (1997) and Stories from the Kronen (1995).
19. Carlos Saura
Writer | Carmen
Spanish director, writer, producer (2 films) and actor (2 films). His interest in cinema started when he was very young. His mother, who was a pianist, instilled in him the liking for music, and his brother, Antonio, who was a painter, the passion for art. When he was an teenager he started to ...
20. José Luis Borau
Writer | Leo
Born in Zaragoza (Spain). 1949. He began to study law in Zaragoza. 1952. He began to publish articles about cinema in the newspaper "El Heraldo de Aragon". April 1954-January 1956. Critic of cinema in the same newspaper. 1957. Enters the spanish Instituto de Investigaciones y Experiencias ...
21. Imanol Uribe
Director | Días contados
Imanol Uribe was born on February 28, 1950 in San Salvador, El Salvador. He is a director and writer, known for Numbered Days (1994), Miel de naranjas (2012) and Bwana (1996).
22. Josefina Molina
Director | Esquilache
Josefina Molina was born on November 14, 1936 in Córdoba, Córdoba, Andalucía, Spain. She is a director and writer, known for Esquilache (1989), The Most Natural Thing (1991) and Entre naranjos (1998).
23. Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón
Writer | Demonios en el jardín
Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón was born on January 2, 1942 in Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain. He is a writer and director, known for Demonios en el jardín (1982), Maravillas (1981) and Habla, mudita (1973).
24. Pilar Miró
Director | El perro del hortelano
Born to a military family. Attends law studies before starting a newspaper career. In 1960 starts on TV. Joins the Socialist Party in 1976 and conducts the electoral campaign in 1982 and in the same year she is designated General Director of Cinema. Resigning in 1985, the next year she joins the ...
25. Ricardo Franco
Director | La buena estrella
Ricardo Franco was born on May 24, 1949 in Madrid, Spain. He was a director and writer, known for Lucky Star (1997), Berlín Blues (1988) and Lágrimas negras (1998). He died on May 20, 1998 in Madrid, Spain.
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