The exhibition of his snapshots throughout the history of the Mostra de València opens at the Galería del Tossal. The Galería del Tossal is now showcasing a collection of portraits by renowned Valencian photographer José García Poveda, ‘El Flaco,’ documenting the evolution of the film festival from its early editions in the 1980s to the present. Mostra de València-Cinema del Mediterrani, scheduled from October 24 to November 3, kicks off with the opening of this exhibition, which has become a tradition. The opening was attended not only by El Flaco, but also José Luis Moreno, Valencia’s Councilor for Culture and Heritage, and Eduardo Guillot, the festival’s artistic director.
“El Flaco has been part of the festival since the beginning in 1980, and that allowed us to look back. We wanted to highlight the history of the festival, which has been especially turbulent since its inception, and also to show that at every stage, it has been a destination for world-class filmmakers: Olivier Assayas, Costa-Gavras, Giuseppe Tornatore, Michel Piccoli, the Taviani brothers… not to mention the history of Spanish cinema, for example, Pedro Almodóvar won his first international award at La Mostra,” Guillot told the media.
El Flaco, who guided journalists through the exhibit, said, “Each photo has an anecdote. For example, the conversations with the main characters—I have always tried to bring them to their comfort zone. Overall, I haven’t had a bad experience with anyone. I really liked Ángela Molina, who appears smoking… something you don’t see anymore, and I also got to know her father.” The photographer, now retired, adds, “I still take photos as long as the tax office lets me.” “I’ve kept in touch with many of these people, and when they come back to Valencia, we meet up.”
Throughout the festival’s editions, José García Poveda has immortalized iconic figures of Mediterranean cinema who have left their mark on the festival. ‘La Mostra del Flaco’ presents 45 black-and-white portraits offering a glimpse into a time when directors like Pedro Almodóvar, Rafael Azcona, or Luis García Berlanga, actors and actresses like Ángela Molina, Fernando Fernán Gómez, or Victoria Abril, and international stars like Claudia Cardinale, Sophia Loren, or Emir Kusturica were captured by his lens, creating images that are now part of the city’s collective memory. These photographs, which embody the spirit of the festival, are displayed alongside portraits of Marco Bellocchio, Isabelle Huppert, Carmen Maura, Giulietta Masina, Paco Rabal… or the missing Taviani brothers, to whom the Mostra pays tribute this year with a screening of the restored version of their masterpiece The Night of the Shooting Stars.
José García Poveda (born in Murcia, 1950) arrived to Turia’s capital city in 1969 to study Economics, though photography was always his true calling. His first exhibition took place in 1985, and in 2017, the University of Valencia dedicated an exhibition and catalog titled La València del Flaco, which compiles decades of his photographic work in the city. In 2018, he was named an honorary adopted citizen of Valencia.
The 39th edition of Mostra de València-Cinema del Mediterrani is organized by the City Council of Valencia, with support from the Institut Valencià de Cultura, Palau de la Música, València Film Office (Fundació Visit València), À Punt Mèdia as the official media partner, and sponsored by Hyundai Koryo Car.
Report by Carlos Catalán Ruz
Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’
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