Miguel Picazo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miguel Picazo
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| Born |
Miguel Picazo de Dios
27 March 1927 |
| Died | 23 April 2016 (aged 89) Guarromán (Jaén), Spain
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| Occupation | Film director Actor |
| Years active | 1960–1997 |
Miguel Picazo de Dios (born March 27, 1927 – died April 23, 2016) was a Spanish film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is most famous for his first movie, Aunt Tula, which came out in 1964.
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Life and Work
Miguel Picazo was born in Cazorla, a town in Spain. He grew up in Guadalajara and first studied law. But he was very interested in making movies. So, he joined Spain's national film school, called Intituto de investigaciones y Experiencias Cinematográficas. He finished his studies in 1960 and made a short practice film called Rented Room.
After film school, Miguel Picazo became a teacher at the new Escuela Oficial de Cine (EOC). Eventually, he got the chance to direct his first full-length movie, Aunt Tula, in 1964. This movie was based on a famous book by Miguel de Unamuno. It showed how strict and old-fashioned life could be in small towns in Spain. The film was a big hit with critics and audiences. It also helped make Picazo a well-known name in Spanish cinema. The main actress, Aurora Bautista, did a great job playing the character of Aunt Tula.
Later Films and TV Work
Even though his first movie was very successful, it took Miguel Picazo three years to make his second film. This movie was called Dark dreams of August (1967). Unfortunately, parts of the film were cut by the censors (people who check movies to make sure they follow rules). Also, the person who produced the movie passed away. These problems made it hard for the film to be shown widely, and it didn't do well. Because of this, Picazo didn't direct another movie for nine years.
During this time, Miguel Picazo worked a lot for Spanish television. He wrote and directed many short films. He even made films for children and adapted famous books for TV. He created more than seventy programs for Spanish television!
He returned to directing movies in 1976 with The Man Who Knew Love. This film was a biopic (a movie about a real person's life) about John of God, a saint. A religious group helped make and distribute the film. However, this movie also didn't do well at the box office. His next film in 1976, The clear motives of Desire, was about teenagers growing up in small towns. It also didn't make much money.
These struggles led Picazo back to working on television. Later, a new law helped him make his fifth movie, Outside the walls (1985). This film was based on a book by Jesús Fernández Santos. It starred Aurora Bautista again, this time as a strict leader of a convent. Two younger actresses, Mercedes Sampietro and Carmen Maura, played nuns who challenged her. Outside the walls was Miguel Picazo's last movie as a director.
Acting and Awards
Besides directing, Miguel Picazo also acted in a few movies. He had small roles in films like Víctor Erice's The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) and Alejandro Amenábar's Thesis (1996).
After he stopped directing, Picazo often served as a judge at film festivals. In 1997, he received an Honorary Goya Award for his entire career. This is a very special award in Spanish cinema, like an Oscar. Miguel Picazo passed away on April 23, 2016.
Movies Directed by Miguel Picazo
| Year | English title | Original title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Aunt Tula | La tía Tula | Based on a book by Miguel de Unamuno.
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| 1967 | Dark dreams of August | Oscuros sueños de agosto | |
| 1976 | The Man Who Knew Love | El hombre que supo amar | |
| 1976 | The clear motives of desire | Los claros motivos del deseo | |
| 1985 | Outside the walls | Extramuros | Based on a novel by Jesús Fernández Santos |
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Picazo para niños
