Tuesday, March 29, 7:30pm
Student Union Movie Theater, UNC Charlotte Main Campus
Asier y yo / Asier and I
Directors Aitor Merino, Amaia Merino
Ecuador, Spain, 2013, 93 min
In Spanish and Basque with English subtitles
Introduction by Dr. Anton Pujol, Associate Professor of Spanish, UNC Charlotte. Discussion will follow screening.
Asier and I tells the story of the friendship between Aitor and Asier Aranguren from their time growing up together in the conflict-affected and politicized eighties of Pamplona. Eventually, Aitor moved to Madrid to pursue his dream of becoming an actor and Asier joined the terrorist group ETA. Years later, Asier was arrested and interned in a French prison, where he was detained for eight years. Beyond the story of Asier, Aitor, and the Basque conflict, the film raises universal questions: can we justify blood crimes on the name of an ideal? Can friendship transcend ideology and political extremism?
Reviews:
“Asier and I by siblings Amaia and Aitor Merino has the courage to expose very difficult issues to whomever wants to learn of their merits and weaknesses.” – Jordi Costa, EL PAÍS
“And all this is part of a careful contextualization of the film, which not only depicts the lives of its main characters, but also manages to reproduce the asphyxiating climate of the different phases of Spain, a country recently touched by terrorism.” – Jose Cabello, CINE DIVERGENTE
“Asier and I strikes the perfect tone in narrating both meaningful and painful things without transforming them into an existentialist trope…The film provokes, raises questions, and entertains at the same time.” – Ivonne Guzmán, EL COMERCIO
Social Media Links: Asier And I on YouTube
The Spanish Film Club series was made possible with the support of Pragda, SPAIN arts & culture and the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain.
