Cinema
Los Tarantos
Francisco Rovira Beleta · 1963
Synopsis
Barcelona, by the sea, in the gypsy shacks of Somorrostro. Two families hate each other. At a gypsy wedding, Rafael, of the Tarantos, sees Juana, nicknamed the Zoronga, daughter of the enemy clan, dance, and they fall in love, secretly helped by their younger siblings, who are friends. Juana wins through her dance the respect of Angustias, Rafael's formidable mother, but her own father, Rosendo, stubbornly promises her to Curro, a man from his circle, to make her forget Rafael.
Context
The film comes from a play by Alfredo Mañas, La historia de los Tarantos, which transposed Romeo and Juliet to the gypsies of Barcelona. Produced by the director's own company, it was shot on the beach and in the shanty quarter of Somorrostro. The dancer Carmen Amaya plays the role of Angustias, surrounded by Sara Lezana, Daniel Martín and Antonio Gades, and the flamenco numbers carry part of the story. Released in Spain in November 1963, it was chosen to represent the country at the Oscars and was nominated, against Fellini's 8½.
Who it is for
A musical drama of about an hour and a half, in colour, in which flamenco dance and song move the story forward.
Prizes and reception
Nominated for the Academy Award for best foreign film; its director was nominated again four years later.