REFLECTIONS ON A CENTURIES-OLD TRADITION

THE HIDDEN SIDE OF BULLFIGHTING

"Tardes de Soledad", the acclaimed documentary by Catalan director Albert Serra, arrives in Santarém after captivating audiences and critics at the prestigious San Sebastián Film Festival. This cinematic piece offers a penetrating and unprecedented look into the universe of bullfighting, exploring the daily life of celebrated Peruvian bullfighter Andrés Roca Rey, recognised as a revolutionary figure in contemporary bullfighting.

This film stands out for its visceral and raw portrayal of not only the moments of glory in the arena, but primarily the extreme rigour of physical preparation and the psychological torment of those who choose to face death as a profession. The result is a work that reveals the human complexity behind the spectacle. It exposes the absolute solitude, iron determination and constant sacrifices demanded by the profession.

This masterpiece invites audiences to contemplate and question the intrinsic duality of bullfighting: on one hand, the beauty of precise movements; on the other, the brutality of the ancestral confrontation between man and animal.

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