Synopsis: Musical-anthropological documentary without dialogue or narrator: music speaks for itself. A trip through the roots of flamenco to its modern day fusions with styles such as jazz, blues and Afro-Cuban music. Shot in countries like Spain, Cuba, the US, Nicaragua, Germany and Russia with  the participation of world renowned artists such as the guitarist Antón Jiménez, dancer Lola Greco (National Dance Award 2009), Latin jazz legend Jerry González (6 times Grammy nominated), blues-flamenco genius Raimundo Amador, flutist Jorge Pardo (Best European Jazz Musician 2013), bassist Javier Colina, flamenco singer Rafita de Madrid, Russian accordionist Oleg Nehls, harmonicist Antonio Serrano… 

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Production and sriptwriting: Andrea Zapata-Girau & Antón Jiménez

Direction, cinematography & editing: Andrea Zapata-Girau

Music production and main compositions: Antón Jiménez

Sound design: Pelayo Gutiérrez

Sound mix: Nacho Royo-Villanova

Music mix: Javier Monteverde

Foley Artist: Ález F. Capilla

Sound design assistant: Alejandro López

Sound mix assistant: Sergio Testón

Producción de diseño de sonido: Ana Belén Marín

Music recordings: Tom Auffarth, Antón Jiménez & Javier Monteverde

Color Correction: Mauro Maroto

Additional compositions: Rafita Jiménez, Mario Escudero, Oleg Nehls,  Miguel Blanco and Manuel ParrillaCostume design: Keflamenka

Starring: Antón Jiménez, Lola Greco, Jerry González, Raimundo Amador, Jorge Pardo, Javier Colina, Antonio Serrano, Rafita Jiménez, Oleg Nehls, Mariano Conde, Triana Cortés, Compañía Danzares...

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作品概要

 

音楽自体が物語を綴る、セリフやナレーションのない音楽・人類学的ドキュメンタリー。スペイン、キューバ、アメリ カ、ニカラグア、ドイツ、ロシアにて撮影された本作は、フラメンコギターを中心に、ギタリストのアントン・ヒメネス(Ciudad de Barcelona賞)、ダンサーのロラ・グレコ(2009年ナショナルダンスアワード受賞)、伝説的なニューヨークのトランペット／コンガ奏者ジェ リー・ゴンザレス(グラミー賞に六回ノミネート)、ブルース・フラメンコの天才ライムンド・アマドア、フルート奏者のホルゲ・パルド(2013年ヨーロッ パジャズミュージシャン最優秀賞)、ベーシストのハビエル・コリナ、フラメンコ歌手のラフィータ・ヒメネス、ロシアのアコーディオン奏者オレグ・ネール ス、ハーモニカ奏者のアントニオ・セラーノ、そしてギター制作者のマリアーノ・コンデといった、フラメンコ界で最もカリスマがあり賞賛されている面々が登 場します。

 

アントン・ヒメネスがオリジナルサウンドトラックを担当し、音響デザインはスペインのアカデミー賞に相当するゴヤ賞を三度受賞したパレヨ・グティレズとナチョ・ロヨヴィラノバが担当。監督アンドレア・ザパタギラウの初長編映画です。

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Reviews

 

"It's damn good, a true treat. The production values are so artistic. The editing, where the cameras are placed to capture the performances, it feels well thought out and it adds a great component of the style of the movie"

- Félix Contreras, Music Journalist, NPR (National Public Radio) Washington D.C.​​

 

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"I'm impressed, it's fantastic, it's incredibly good. It's such an authentic and sensitive piece of art"

- Ramón Farrán, Director of the Spanish National Jazz Orchestra

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"It's a great movie. The images are beautiful, the music is wonderful. It's such an enjoyable movie. I recommend you to watch it"

- Tomatito, Guitarist. Living legend of flamenco guitar, 2 Grammy® winner.

 

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“Guitarra de Palo” is a very interesting and very special movie because it contains a dialogue that comes from a concept of associations of images, of sequences, of styles… in a way that this discourse can be deducted in a perfectly natural but also sophisticated way. It is a very peculiar movie but it’s not an elitist movie. You can perfectly enjoy it, you just need to have a certain music sensitivity.

- Carlos Aguilar. Film Historian and Writer. Writer of “Cinema Guide” and “Cine & Jazz” among other titles.​​

 

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"The movie is impressive: the images, the sound, Antón Jiménez's music... Wonderful portrait of thefantasy of which takes part the flamenco musician from the 21st Century. Congratulations to all of you. I hope many people watch it and quiver like we've quivered today when we watched it"

- Jorge Pardo, Flautist and saxophonist. Best European Jazz Musician Award 2013. Pioneer of flamenco-jazz.

 

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"Guitarra de Palo is a phenomenal, timeless work of art - beautiful and powerful in every aspect. It is simply one of the greatest music films ever made! The cinematography, story line, musical recording and editing are all first tier in execution and creativity. And the music!!!!  The music is phenomenal, sentimental, historic and breathtaking. The film is so full of magic that it gets under the skin - connects to distant places, condenses centuries, opens the heart. Andrea and Antón have captured the muse. This is what music is all about - dance, celebration, humanity, transcendence!  Duende puro!!!  What a journey!  What an opportunity!  What a gift!"

- John Santos, Percussionist and Educator, 5 times Grammy® nominated.

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"This is tremendous documentary throughout, the musicianship is fabulous and outstanding. It has three phases: music, dance, atmosphere. All of which gives the viewer a clear vision of the aim that is being communicated. It obviously is centered on the guitar not only the musicianship of the players, which is magnificent all the way through, but the care in creating these hand made, not massed produced instruments. The children who are seen playing in the street and in other parts of the film give it some humanity and a sense of next generation. I was recalling the Great Day in Harlem photograph where Count Basie is sitting on the sidewalk with the children. I really liked the orchestra pieces because the conveyed the Spanish feeling but also the improvisational playing of Jerry González showed the influence of his American heritage. I hope it gets as much exposure as possible"

- Bill Cole, Jazz musician, Writer and Educator.  Writer of  Miles Davis and John Coltrane biographies.

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"I’ve never seen something like this. Congratulations"

- Félix Grande, Writer, Poet and Flamencologist. National Award of Poetry and a y Flamencólogo, Spanish Poetry Award 1978 and National Prize for Spanish Literature 2004.

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"I think it's a piece of art, a very moving, evocative and contemporary movie that reflects very well and in a very beautiful way what flamenco is today. I thank Andrea (Zapata-Girau) for giving me the oportunity to have this piece of glory together with my friend Jerry (González)

-Miguel Blanco, Composer, Arranger and Bassist, Spanish Jazz Composition Award (92 y 95), 3º Iberoamerican Jazz Composition Award  (Havana, 1998)

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"I just loved it!"

- El Negri, Flamenco Singer and Composer, founding member of "La Barbería del Sur"

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"Marvelous movie, I enjoyed it very much, beautiful work"

- Papo Vázquez, Trombonist and Composer, Winner of a NEA Latino Master Award

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"What a luxury!"

- François Zalacain, Music Producer and Foundator and director of the music label Sunnyside Records

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"Visually stunning, it's like a journey of the senses with the thread of flamenco running through it"

- Rebeca Mauleon, Pianist, Writer and Music Critic, collaborator of magazines such as  JazzTimes, Keyboard and Grammy Gateway and musicological consultant and author to National Geographic.

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"Marvelous video, I'm sure that I will watch it many times"

 - Muldoon Elder, Poet, Painter and Filmmaker. Author of "Magic Machines", winner of an Oscar Award in 1969 for "Best Live-action Short" and First Place at The Cannes Film Festival in 1970.

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"Marvelous movie, I enjoyed it very much, beautiful work"

- Papo Vázquez, Trombonist and Composer. Winner of a NEA Latino Master Award

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"What a pleasure watching your video. In addition to the main extraordinary guitar player there were so many scenes I just loved"

- Vivien Hillgrove, Film Editor. Dialogue editor on Milos Forman's "Amadeus", Francis Ford Coppola's "One fromt the Heart" and David Lynch's "Blue Velvet". Editor on Philip Jaufman "The Unbearable Lightness of the Being" and "Henry & Jule" and Lourdes Portillo's "La Señorita Extraviada".​​

 

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"Bravo, this awesome!!! Excellent movie!!!

- John Benítez, Bass player, Grammy Winner

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“The documentary Guitarra de Palo really impressed me because of its magnificent sound, since I know how hard it is to join images and sound, specially when it’s live sound and in different locations. The music is gorgeous, the image treatment is very beautiful and original, the story, even with no words, can be perfectly followed introducing yourself in several spheres of flamenco. There are brilliant takes, like Lola Greco’s dance, Jorge Pardo’s flute in Madrid’s night life, Raimundo’s arrival and the atmosphere of Candela and, above all, Jerry González’s scene with guitar and orchestra. The expression of the children really touched me, it’s authentic. Antón Jiménez’s guitar is full of emotion. And in the journey you can see how the fusion is real. Splendid work of its director and producer Andrea, the great musicians and all the crew. Congratulations!”

- Martirio, Singer and Acress

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"It's great looking with cool music"

- Jeff "Tain" Watts, Drummer. Six  times Grammy winner

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"Guitarra de Palo is an after and before in flamenco movies. It has an amazing aesthetic and with a lot of risk. It has broken all the conventions of music documentaries. What a luxury!

- Juan Verdú, Flamenco Producer and Director of Madrid Flamenco Festival "Suma Flamenca"

 

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"It truly is a sensitive and emotional piece, which brings one into many areas of ones mind, known and unknown and dreams real and perceived. This last statement is triggered by the imagery and editing which made my mind think 'have I been there, that city the street, that person that sound? It ran through me beautifully and i felt satisfied and complete at its end"

- Jose Maria Bustos, Painter, MFA & Rockefeller Fellow​

 

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"Andrea Zapata Girau, one of Spain's national treasures, a film maker with extraordinary talents brings us to a window into her vision of Spanish culture then and now. Facinating, passionate. I loved this film"

- Andy González, Bass player, Arranger and Educator,  Bronx Living Legend Award

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"Guitarra de Palo is a documentary on Flamenco that moves like a ballet. It will captivate your magnetic focus with out a distraction. A film that will make you feel good emotionally and physically. This is a gem, shot so beautifully, it will put a crescendo on your smile. The music deserves a bouquet of Bravos"

- Rita Guzmán, Film Producer

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Longer review by Carlos Aguilar (in Spanish)

 

Press

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