José Luis Borau facts for kids

José Luis Borau Moradell (born August 8, 1929 – died November 23, 2012) was a talented Spanish film producer, writer, and director. He also wrote scripts for movies. He was known for his amazing work in Spanish cinema.

In 2000, he won the important Goya Award for Best Director. This award was for his film called Leo. Besides directing, Borau also acted in some movies. One of these was Everyone Off to Jail in 1993.

He was the president of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1994 to 1998. He was also a judge at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival in 1991. In 2008, he became a member of the Real Academia Española, which is a very respected group that looks after the Spanish language.

José Luis Borau passed away in Madrid in 2012 at the age of 83.

José Luis Borau's Film Career

José Luis Borau was born in Zaragoza, Spain. When he was young, during the Spanish Civil War, his parents kept him home from school. But he always loved books and movies very much.

He first studied law in Zaragoza. Later, he worked for a newspaper called Heraldo de Aragón as a film critic. This meant he wrote reviews about movies.

Becoming a Film Director

Borau wanted to make movies himself. So, he moved to Madrid and joined a special film school called IIEC. There, he learned how to direct films. He finished school with a short film called En el Río in 1960.

After school, Borau made many short films and TV commercials. His first full-length movie was Brandy (1963). It was a Western movie with a low budget. The next year, he made Crimen de doble filo (1964), a mystery film.

In 1966, Borau started working on TV shows for TVE. One show was called Dichoso Mundo.

Teaching and Producing Films

From 1962 to 1970, Borau taught screenwriting at the national film school EOC. He taught many students who later became famous Spanish filmmakers. These included Pilar Miró and Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón.

Borau wanted to direct his own movie ideas, but producers were not interested. So, he decided to start his own film company called El Iman. He used money he earned from making TV commercials.

The first film from his company was Un dos tres al escondite Inglés (1969), directed by Ivan Zuleta. Then came My Dearest Senorita, which Borau helped write. This film was very special. It told the story of a person who was raised as a girl but was actually a boy. The movie was a big success and was even nominated for an Oscar!

Making Important Films

In 1973, Borau wrote, produced, and directed his own film, Hay que matar a B (B Must Die). This was a political thriller set in a made-up country. It was inspired by the political situation in Spain at the time.

In 1975, Borau made his most famous film, Furtivos (Poachers). He even acted in it as a regional governor. He had to fight against the government's censorship to release the film as he wanted. Furtivos was a huge success. It won the top award, the Golden Shell, at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. It became a very important film during Spain's move to democracy.

He also helped produce and write Camada Negra (1976). This film explored ideas about fascism and was also very important for Spanish cinema.

Later Works and Hollywood Dream

In 1979, Borau made La Sabina. This movie was filmed in Andalusia and had actors from Spain, Britain, and America.

That same year, Borau moved to Los Angeles. He had always dreamed of making a film in Hollywood. He faced money problems, but he managed to finish Rio Abajo (On the Line) in 1983. This film was about the border between Mexico and the US. It starred Victoria Abril and David Carradine. Even though it was well-received in Spain, it didn't do well in America.

Borau's seventh film was Tata mía (1986). It was a comedy about a former nun named Elvira who needs help from her old nanny to face the world. This film had famous Spanish actors like Carmen Maura.

José Luis Borau's Filmography

Films Directed by Borau

Films Where Borau Acted

José Luis Borau's Novels

• Camisa de once varas, which won the Tigre Juan Award in 2003 for its story.
• Navidad, horrible navidad

See also

In Spanish: José Luis Borau para niños