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“The Blind Ants” (“Inurri Itsuak”), the third feature by director Igor Legarreta (“All the Moons,” “When You Stop Loving Me”), had it world premiere on Sept. 18 at the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Part of the Zinemira section, which is dedicated to Basque productions, the film is competing for the Irizar Award for Basque Cinema. It will be in Spanish theaters on Oct. 9, distributed by Buena Vista International Spain.
Set in the Basque Country in 1930, the film tells the story of an English ship that is stranded on the shores of Biscay during a violent storm. Holding tons of valuable coal, the local people of Algorta scramble to rescue some of it in order to help them survive a harsh winter. The Jauregui family decides to risk it all and brave the unrelenting storm in order to keep some of the black gold. Their decision leads to tragic consequences that will change them forever.
“We launched a production company in the Basque Country with a clear vision: to combine our strengths with local talent to create films that are artistically ambitious and uncompromising in their production values. We achieved this with “Inurri Itsuak”: a Basque-language film with international appeal and high production value that tells a story as deeply rooted in the local context as that of Ramiro Pinilla. Partnering with Playtime for international sales and Buena Vista for distribution in Spain will help the film reach the widest possible audience, Lazona Zinema producer Luis Ferrón told Variety.
“The Blind Ants” stars Urko Olazábal (Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor for “Maixabel,” nominated for Best Lead Actor for “Soy Nevenka”), Itziar Ituño (“Money Heist,” “Intimacy,” “Irati”), Josean Bengoetxea (“Balenciaga,” “Errementari,” “Loreak”), Miren Gaztañaga (“The Last Romantics,” “Ane,” “The Platform”) and Carlos Santos (“The Nuclear Bunker,” “Invisible,” “1992”).
It is produced by leading Basque producer Lamia Producciones, Lamia Films, Lazona Zinema, Lazona Producciones, Buendía Estudios Bizkaia, Bruja del Norte AIE, and Sideral Cinema. It is co-produced with Caviar Antwerp.
Variety caught director Legarreta before the premiere.
The film is based on Ramiro Pinilla’s book. Was it difficult to adapt it into a narrative film?
Igor Legarreta: Adapting a novel is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you have all the necessary materials: plot, characters, theme… But on the other hand, you have to transfer a literary universe to a very different world such as cinema. It is a long and complex process where you must try to separate yourself from the initial material, but without ever betraying it.
I would like to point out that Pinilla’s novel conveys his love for both literary and cinematographic fiction, especially for the American fiction of the first half of the twentieth century. The film aims not to betray that love, and I truly believe that there are not many films with the character and visual strength of “Blind Ants.”
What attracted you to the story?
Legarreta: Undoubtedly, the experience that reading the novel provides. It is a literary gem that has not received the acclaim it deserves. I find many emotional connections with the story of the Jaureguis: life on the Basque coast, the small universe of the caserío [the Basque farmhouse], willpower as a weapon to continue fighting…. In the end, it is the story of a Basque family and its unwavering struggle not to lose its dignity.
Did you shoot the film entirely in the Basque Country?
Legarreta: Yes, the film was entirely shot in Bizkaia, in the Basque Country. We tried to preserve that coastal atmosphere. It is not for nothing that I have sometimes defined “Blind Ants” as a coastal Western.
This is a big Basque period production co-produced with Belgium’s Caviar. Can you tell me about how the project came together?
Legarreta: As often happens in cinema, travel companions are added little by little. The arrival of Robin (Caviar) and the subsequent incorporation of Kris and his entire team (Loom) helped us to grow the project in size and ambition. They are also part of the Jauregui family.
You’ve worked with Itziar Ituño on some of your previous projects. Can you tell me about your working relationship with her?
Legarreta: I’ve known Itziar since the time we were making short films at university, when she was taking her first steps as an actress and I as a director. Then, for some time, our paths separated until we met again in “All the Moons” (2021). Working with her is always a pleasure. She is a very close person, generous in her way of working, the kind of actress that is always part of the crew. Perhaps that’s why she has an enormous capacity to connect with real emotions and with real life.
Tell me about the rest of the actors.
Legarreta: It was a challenge to bring together a family as extensive and particular as the Jaureguis. We had to find a group of actors that could give us a real sense of family. And I think we succeeded. I had never worked with most of them, and in some way, they joined the project as we were making up that family. It has been a wonderful team that managed to take that bond beyond the filming.
Any particular challenges while shooting the film?
Legarreta: Half of the novel takes place during a stormy night on a cliff. When it came to filming, we decided to build a huge set to be able to shoot in the best conditions. We had to guarantee full safety in the scene, while we needed to have absolute control over all the elements. It was a real technical and creative challenge where the production design led by Mikel Serrano shines through in the film.
