‘It goes beyond flamenco, beyond dance,’ says filmmaker
Director of ‘La Chana’ Lucija Stojevic talks to Catalan News about winning Best Documentary at the 2018 Gaudí Award
Documentary filmmaker Lucija Stojevic is having a good—really good—week, ending right on the red carpets. Indeed, her documentary ‘La Chana’ just won the Best Documentary Award at the Gaudí Awards.
The Gaudí Awards are the Oscars of Catalonia, a platform for a blossoming local film scene that’s becoming more and more international. Stojevic’s film itself is racking up nominations and awards all throughout Europe. But the Gaudí Awards are especially significant for a number of reasons: the filmmaker herself lives in Catalonia, as does most of the crew from her independent production company Noon Films. What’s more, this is the hometown and home country of Antonia Santiago Amador, known as La Chana, the star of the film.
Flamenco dancer La Chana was indeed a star, a worldwide one, from 1960 to 1980. She performed on stages from Catalonia, to Paris, to Argentina, even in Hollywood. And then, at the peak of her career, she disappeared, her jealous husband and manager sequestering her from the life she loved most. Now, after a 25 year break, she’s back.
This touching true story of redemption and passion, through the eyes of Lucija Stojevic, has gained worldwide acclaim. Catalan News Agency interviewed her to find out more:
So, you've won awards left and right, but what does it mean to you to win the best Documentary at the Gaudí Awards?
Well this is obviously a really special award for us, it's a production from here, it was a very tough production to get on its feet, and it's very special for us that we're getting this recognition in La Chana's hometown.