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The late, much-loved screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière scripted some of the greatest classics of 20th Century European Cinema, collaborating with directors including Jacques Tati, Milos Forman, Louis Malle and Jean-Luc Godard.
His most fruitful collaboration was with Luis Buñuel, the six features they made together including The Diary of a Chambermaid (1964), Belle de Jour (1967) and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972).
Before his death in 2021, Carrière took a journey across Spain to see the works of his favourite painter, Francisco Goya – a trip filled with culture, cinema and emotion. Travelling with Carrière, we come to understand his great admiration for the romantic painter – described as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. The screenwriter’s profound understanding of Goya’s sensibilities and the passion of his language convey the extraordinary influence of this painter. As the anecdotes flow, Carrière recalls his long relationship with Buñuel and positions Goya as an entry point to Surrealism.
This film is a treat for all lovers of European film, as well as a richly rewarding insight into Goya’s life and work, as filtered through one of one of cinema’s greatest writers.