Archives
The Films that Franco Saw
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Francisco Franco, the Generalísimo who ruled Spain as a dictator for four decades. The moment has triggered a flood of commentary regarding his legacy and profound impact on 20th-century Spain, including effects that linger today. Perhaps less known is that […]
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The Demolition of Carabanchel
“Carabanchel está grabado a fuego en la piel moral de todos los españoles.” Juan Antonio Ramírez, Carabanchel: el templo de la memoria Under cover of darkness, one night in late October 2008, an excavator began tearing at the walls of the Carabanchel prison. The enormous complex, constructed in the 1940s, […]
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Robert Redford and Spain
Robert Redford would have been a natural fit for a western or war film made in Spain in the 1960s. He never did make a film in Spain, but he lived there for a while early in his career, staying in Mallorca and Malaga. At the time, he was trying […]
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A Gangster’s Library in Spain
Terence Stamp plays a criminal turned informant who retreats to the south of Spain to read until his old life catches up with him. Following news of English actor Terence Stamp’s death this past week, I rewatched The Hit (1984), an unusual pensive thriller. Ten years after testifying against his […]
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It started with a Kiss
When the U.S. negotiated a military alliance with the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to put American soldiers on Spanish soil, the chief hurdle they faced, according to an account in the Saturday Evening Post, was “the Spaniard’s well-known pride.” The Americans would go on to install the longest runway in […]
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Holiday in Spain
This past year, international tourism in Spain reached a breaking point. Across the country, masses of protesters shouted “tourists go home!” In Barcelona, activists attacked outdoor diners with water guns. Demonstrators occupied beaches in Mallorca and the Canary Islands. While mass tourism is not new to Spain, it has grown […]
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Coverage of “Once Upon a Time in Almería” in the Daily Mail
This week the Daily Mail published a feature article on my photo project documenting the legacy of Hollywood and international filmmaking in Almeria, Spain. Here is one excerpt from the interview published in the article: ‘The Western towns built by Sergio Leone and others were not meant to be accurate […]
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Mark Parascandola discusses his project ‘Once Upon a Time in Almeria’ with local experts during the Almería Western Film Festival
Excerpts from the press conference for the exhibit “Érase una vez en Almería: decorados, restos y paisajes del cine” are now posted online. The brief presentation includes statements from Francisco Alonso, head of the Instituto de Estudios Almerienses, Mar Verdejo, coordinator of the exhibition, and myself, talking about the content […]
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65 cinema experts choose the best movies filmed in Almería
This summer “La Voz de Almería” conducted a survey to pick the best films shot in the area since 1961. Hundreds of films have been made in the region over the past half century and 65 local cinema experts such as film experts, actors, directors, historians, writers were asked to select […]
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Press Coverage: Opening of “Érase una vez en Almería” in Tabernas
My exhibit “Érase una vez en Almería: Decorados, Restos y Paisajes de Cine” (“Once Upon a Time in Almería”) opened last week in Almería, Spain, with a reception and artist talk. The show includes 18 framed prints 24″ x 36″, all images of film sets and locations around the province […]
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