Almost forty years after its release, ‘Oraingoz izen gabe’ returns to the San Sebastián Festival in a restored print by the Basque Film Archive. Its director, José Julián Bakedano, reflects on the origins of this pioneering film in Basque, shot in 1987, and celebrates its continued relevance among new generations.

For those who aren’t familiar with ‘Oraingoz izen gabe’, how would you introduce it?
The idea came after reading a very short story by Borges, ‘La intrusa’. I suggested to Bernardo Atxaga that he write a script inspired by it. In the end, what he wrote didn’t have much to do with the original story, so it can’t really be said to be based on Borges, but that’s where it originated.

Later, I gathered a team of friends, many of them non-professionals. My aim was to make a film in lived Basque, so the actors, being from the Duranguesado region, spoke Biscayan Basque but with a very cultured expression. The only professional actor in the cast was Luis Iriondo, who played the role of the judge.

We shot the film in 10 days, which was a record since it runs for 50 minutes. It should have been filmed over three weeks, but we didn’t have the budget, so we did a lot of rehearsals beforehand, for about three weeks. Since we were shooting with live sound—which was essential for me in this story—the takes had to be right the first time. The director of photography was Gabriel Beristáin, then based in London, and he brought along his assistant John Mathieson, who would later become one of Hollywood’s greats. I’m very proud of that work because we achieved a result that the audience really liked.

How was it received at the time?
It premiered at the San Sebastián Festival in 1987 and afterwards, thanks to a circuit organised by the Basque Government and Caja Laboral, it was shown in many Basque-speaking towns. People were moved to hear that carefully spoken Biscayan Basque. For those from Gipuzkoa, it was a bit harder to follow, but audiences received it with great enthusiasm.

At that time, making a film in Basque must have been quite a challenge...
Without a doubt. Nearly 40 years have passed, and back then, films in Basque were practically non-existent.

Any particular difficulties during the shoot?
Everything went very smoothly because the team was fully committed. I only remember that one night it was supposed to rain and didn’t, so we had to call the fire brigade to simulate it.

How did the restoration of the film come about?
It was an initiative of the Basque Film Archive, led by Joxean Fernández. An international competition was held, and a company from Bologna won. I didn’t have to be very involved in the process because the original image and sound negatives were very well preserved at the Spanish Film Archive. The Italian restorers did an excellent job digitising them, and I supervised the colour grading, paying special attention to ensure the night scenes didn’t lose their atmosphere.

How did you feel seeing it restored after so many years?
I was surprised at how perfect it looks. The film shines just as it did when we first released it.

And what does it mean to return to the San Sebastián Festival with it?
Immense joy. I hope it can be shown in many more places afterwards. It’s a film that has had a life of its own: Euskal Telebista has broadcast it eleven times, for example, and it has always received good reviews.

What message would you give to younger audiences to encourage them to watch it?
I’d tell them it’s a film for them. The main characters are young; the story is intense, dramatic, and entertaining. And most importantly: it hasn’t become outdated; it feels as if it was made today.