11th International Archaeological Film Festival of the Bidasoa

Awards

• Grand Prize of the Festival: "Looters of the Gods" by Adolfo Conti.
• Special Audience Prize: "The first Europeans", by Annamaria Talas and Simon Nasht.
• Arkeolan Prize for Contribution to Science: "Apaizac Obeto. The legend of the last whaling shallop" by por Jon Maia.

Eleven, this year’s FICAB bears the number 11. In English, it does not have the same symbolic meaning as it does in Basque, in which eleven (hamaika) is the figure used to mean a large amount, a lot, a profusion. But even without this meaning, it is still an excellent feat to have passed the number ten, to have hosted eleven international archaeological film festivals –still unique in Spain– individually, one after another. And, likewise, to have progressively grown by increasing the number of films presented for the competition, their geographical origins, the quality of the productions, the support of the public and the participation of an ever-growing number of residents of Bidasoa and Irun joining in with the organisational tasks in one way or another.

But there is another reason to be celebrating this eleventh festival. When the FICAB was first launched, we had to actively seek out and track down films across Europe to complete the programme. Subsequently, Spanish productions timidly began to trickle in and then, finally, they became more visible, obtaining a significant representation in last year’s programme. This year is dedicated to Basque documentaries: Palaeolithic cave paintings in Ekain, prehistoric copper mining in Aralar, the attack on the second-iron-age settlement of La Hoya, in Laguardia, the battle of Roncesvalles, where Roland died and expeditions by Basque whalers to Newfoundland are the milestones of this special voyage through time. Because if FICAB has a raison d’être, it is to bring the past closer through the resources of film: recreation, image and sound, using a language that touches our emotions and helps us to preserve –remember– the historical information transmitted by these means. We will no doubt learn a great deal about our history and the history of other cultures around the world over the coming days.

technical information

FICAB XI
Year: 2011
Data:: November 15-16-17-18-19 2011

Organising Committee

Belén Sierra, Culture Councillor of Irun Town Council
Jokin Ormazabal, Culture Councillor of Irun Town Council
Cristina Aguirre,Manager at Oiasso Roman Museum
Javier Arce,Professor at Lille’s University (France)

Director

Mertxe Urtega, Director of Oiasso Roman Museum

Secretary

Maria José Noain, Head of Activities at Oiasso Roman Museum

Jury

Chairman

Juan Santos Yanguas, Professor of Ancient History at the University of the Basque Country

Rosario García Rozas, Director of the Museum of Zamora
Jesús Mari Lazkano, Painter and Professor et professeur at the University of the Basque Country
Rogelio Sánchez, ASECIC
William Van Andringa, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies.