Fernando Trullols makes his debut with Balandrau
- Álvaro Cervantes, Bruna Cusí and Marc Martínez lead the cast of the action film based on the true story of mountaineers who were trapped in the Catalan Pyrenees
Filming is currently underway on Balandrau, a feature film inspired by the true events that took place at the end of December 2000 in the Catalan Pyrenees, which made headlines across Spain. Álvaro Cervantes (twice Goya-nominated, and this year in Deaf [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Eva Libertad
film profile]), Bruna Cusí (Goya winner for Summer 1993 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
film profile], recently in The Blue Star [+see also:
film review
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interview: Javier Macipe
film profile]) and Marc Martínez (from the series Intimacy [+see also:
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series profile] and La academia [+see also:
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series profile]) star in this story of friendship and self-improvement, marking the feature film debut of Catalan filmmaker Fernando Trullols. The cast is completed by Pep Ambròs (from the series Burning Body), Francesc Garrido (recently in the series Gangs of Galicia [+see also:
trailer
series profile]), Ágata Roca, Anna Moliner and Jan Buxaderas.
Based on the book Les tres nits del torb i un cap d’any by Jordi Cruz, and with a script by Danielle Schleif (Mediterráneo: The Law of the Sea [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]), Balandrau tells the story of a group of mountaineers caught in the worst snowstorm in the Catalan Pyrenees and the heroic efforts of firemen to rescue them. The film tells a true story that led to changes in the protocols for mountain rescue operations.
To recreate the film’s most striking sequences, firefighters from the Government of Catalonia have been enlisted for their collaboration. The recreation of the storm on a large film set in Barcelona will involve the best professionals in the industry. Filming will take place over a total of seven weeks, including location shots in the Boí Valley and in Camprodón.
Guille Cascante, producer at Goroka and also the director of the documentary Balandrau, Frozen Hell [+see also:
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film profile] which had previously narrated this event, comments: “When making the Balandrau documentary, we realised the potential of bringing together the production companies Lastor Media and Goroka in this great fiction project, and that it was ideal for Fernando Trullols to make his directorial debut, as he is a person with incredible sensitivity and vitality.”
Fernando Trullols has worked on more than 25 feature films, including A Monster Calls [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Juan Antonio Bayona
film profile] (as assistant director), Mediterráneo (as second unit director) and Los ojos de Julia [+see also:
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film profile] (as assistant director). After winning a Goya for Best Short Film for El barco pirata, he has directed episodes of series such as Cucut, Bosé, La Academia and Hache. Balandrau marks his debut as a feature film director.
Balandrau is a production from Goroka, Lastor Media, Vilaüt Films, Balandrau Films AIE and 3Cat, with the participation of Filmin, and support from the ICAA, the ICEC, Audiovisual SGR and the Provincial Council of Girona, and the collaboration of the Directorate General of Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue (Fire Services of the Government of Catalonia) and FGC Tourism. It will be distributed in Spanish cinemas by Filmax.
(Translated from Spanish)
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