Film still of El sol del membrillo (Dream of Light) © RR
A painter’s dream of light
Awarded the Jury Prize (in 1992) by the Feature films Jury headed by Gérard Depardieu (with Pedro Almodóvar as a Jury member), El Sol del Membrillo (Dream of Light) examines the artistic vision of the master of Spanish painting Antonio López, born in 1936. The artist spends the autumn patiently working on an oil on canvas close to his fruit tree, under the watchful camera of Victor Erice. A simple tribute to the beauty of the painter’s work by Cannes Classics.
Antonio López decides to paint a quince tree he planted some time ago in his garden. The fruit is ripe, Madrid’s October light challenging, and he struggles with the natural elements. Against this backdrop, Victor Erice attempted to “convey the essential nature of cinema and its relationship with time”, by “highlighting the painter’s work as an artist”.
The tone is as simple as the work is complicated. Family, friends and artists visit the painter, who spends a season working on his canvas, in harmony with nature. For Pedro Almodóvar, a fan of the film, “the key emotion it conveys is the way in which Antonio López struggles against the natural elements”. A Cannes Classics selection that the Spanish director welcomes as “recognition of his work as a film-maker”.
Presented by the Filmoteca de Catalunya and Camm Cinco SL. 6K scan, restoration and colour-grading from 35mm negatives and other original video tapes. Digitization and restoration of the sound from 35mm magnetic tapes. Technical support delivered by the Filmoteca de Catalunya, supervised by Victor Erice. Variations on the initial editing provided by the director.
