The Conselleria de Educación, Cultura, Universidades y Empleo, through the Filmoteca del Institut Valencià de Cultura (IVC) and the Mostra de València-Cinema del Mediterrani, will present the reissue of the book ‘Helena Cortesina. A pioneering filmmaker in Spain’, written by filmmaker and film critic Irene de Lucas Ramón at the book fairs in Castelló and València. The book will be presented at the main tent of the Castelló Book Fair on Tuesday, the 29th, at 6:00 pm, by Irene Lucas and Luis Gosálbez, the deputy director of Audiovisuals and Cinematography at the IVC, with the presence of the IVC’s territorial delegate in Castelló, Nuria Felip, as indicated by the Generalitat in a statement.
Additionally, the presentation will also take place at the Vicent Andrés Estellés space at the València Book Fair on Wednesday, the 30th, at 6:15 pm, led by Irene Lucas and the IVC’s general director, Álvaro López-Jamar.
López-Jamar has mentioned that with the reissue of this book, «both the IVC and the Mostra de València aim to remember a very prominent figure in Valencian culture during the early decades of the 20th century, who was also one of the great pioneers of Spanish cinema.»
«Unfortunately, Helena Cortesina has been forgotten for many years, despite being the first woman to direct and produce a feature film in Spain. She was a versatile, lively, and tireless artist who achieved success in theater, dance, and cinema from a very young age,» he stated.
‘FLOR DE ESPAÑA’
The new edition includes a booklet with promotional material from the feature film ‘Flor de España’, the movie directed and produced by Cortesina in 1921. The booklet was recently discovered by the Film Archive of the Filmoteca Valenciana.
Featuring a cover by the renowned Valencian poster artist Luis Dubón, the booklet was printed by Sacadura Ltd, which acquired the distribution rights for the Levante region.
The booklet includes a detailed treatment of the plot, mentioning character names and references to story intrigues and plots that were previously unknown. It also reproduces a conversation among the protagonists with four lines of dialogue from the title cards, as the movie was silent, along with several unseen images from the film.
Additionally, this promotional brochure contains an excerpt from an article in El Mercantil Valenciano and an interview with the film’s screenwriter, José María Granada.
Regarding ‘Flor de España’, Irene de Lucas recalled that «actress-producers didn’t always direct, but she dared to do so and also starred in the film.»
«In our research, we discovered that the movie premiered first in Cuba in 1922 and in Puerto Rico in 1923. It was then on the Spanish circuit for six years and helped her achieve her goal: Cortesina entered the theater scene as an actress, thanks to the recognition this film brought her,» she emphasized.
‘A PASSIONATE BIOGRAPHY’
Elena Cortés Altabas, better known as Helena Cortesina (València, July 17, 1903 – Buenos Aires, March 7, 1984), was a dancer, film and theater actress, theater entrepreneur, and one of the first female directors and producers of Spanish cinema. A woman ahead of her time, she was also a model for Sorolla and a friend of Federico García Lorca and other authors of the Generation of ’27.
She made her dance debut at just 13, starred in her first film, and established her own film production company at 17. In the spring of 1921, she produced, directed, and starred in her first and only film as a filmmaker, ‘Flor de España’, at the age of 18.
«An ambitious, bold, and decisive professional, Cortesina was a complete artist who took control of her career and imposed her personality and artistic ambitions in a predominantly male world. The author of the book described her as ‘a liberated woman and exceptionally independent for her time, with firm republican convictions about women’s rights, freedom, and equality’.»
Regarding the Valencian filmmaker, Lucas pointed out that Cortesina «was particularly modern for her time.» «She never married despite having children, and in addition to being a complete artist—first a dancer, then a film actress, director, and producer,» she exemplified.
«To top it off, she created two theater companies. What is most surprising is her audacity and ability to reinvent herself in a very challenging context. During the Spanish Civil War, her first daughter died, she went into exile pregnant, and yet she managed to continue growing her career,» she continued.
‘ABOUT THE AUTHOR’
Irene de Lucas Ramón holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication and a Ph.D. from the Universitat de València (UV). A film director and screenwriter, she has been awarded at national and international festivals for her short films ‘Le Jeu de Dames’ (2008) and ‘La Marelle’ (2012). She has also been involved in the organization of various film festivals and has covered the editions of several others for different publications.
She has authored numerous articles on film analysis in specialized magazines and regularly contributes to the monographs of Shangrila and Solaris magazines. Among her books are ‘Los Olvidados. La violencia de los excluidos’ (2008) and ‘Alice Guy en el origen del cine’ (2011).
FUENTE