Karmele (1h 54min.)

The Basque Country, 1937. Nurse Karmele flees to France with her family. She joins a Basque cultural ensemble that uses music and dance to draw attention to the war back home. There she meets trumpet player Txomin, with whom she builds a new life in Venezuela. But they still long for home. When they return to the Basque Country, their resistance to Franco’s dictatorship puts their family at risk. From Basque songs in France to the jazz of Caracas, music accompanies the characters on their journey, keeping their connection to home alive. Meanwhile, Karmele tries to preserve what her parents passed down to her while giving her children the freedom to make it their own.

Director Asier Altuna also wrote the screenplay of Karmele. He based it on the book The Hour of Waking Up Together (Elkarrekin esnatzeko ordua, 2016) by the Basque writer Kirmen Uribe, which tells about a true family history. The film was released in a special screening of the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2025. The lead role is played by Jone Laspiur Gorosabel, who received the Goya Award for Best New Actress for her role in Ane is Missing (2021). Before her career as an actress, she was a singer in several bands, until she was scouted during a stage performance.

Karmele is presented in collaboration with the Europeesk Buro foar Lytse Talen (EBLT). The screening on Friday will be preceded by an introduction by EBLT chairman Gerard de Jong. Director Asier Altuna will also be present for an introductory talk.