Celebrity Biographies
Elias Querejeta
When someone is asked the name of a Spanish producer, the first name that comes to mind is Elías Querejeta. In a career that spans more than 50 years, he has been behind emblematic titles of national cinema, both for their artistic quality and for their hook among the most cultivated public.
Elías Querejeta was born in Hernani (Guipúzcoa) on October 27, 1934, shortly before the Spanish Civil War. He has always been passionate about soccer, and at 18 he made his debut in the first division with Real Sociedad. But despite having conceded a goal against Real Madrid as a center forward, his fate was not going to be linked to the ball, but to celluloid.
He set up a production company in Madrid, and his first shorts, which he himself directed, Through San Sebastián and Through football , show his love for his homeland and his favorite sport. But he’s going to be on the production pitch where he’ll leave a deep mark and score his best goals. Great Spanish film directors have given their best with his producing assistance. They are there to confirm it Carlos Saura – The hunt (1966), Ana and the wolves (1973), Cousin Angélica (1974), Cría cuervos (1976)…-, Víctor Erice -the two masterpieces of The spirit of the hive (1973) and The South (1983)-,Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón – The Garden of Earthly Delights (1970)-, Montxo Armendáriz – Tasio (1984), Las cartas de Aloú (1990)-… He supported Jaime Chávarri ‘s documentary description of the Panero clan – El desencanto (1976 )-, was attentive to young values such as Fernando León de Aranoa – Family (1996), Neighborhood (1998), Mondays in the Sun (2002)…- and guided the steps of his daughter director Gracia Querejeta – A way station (1992), The Last Voyage of Robert Rylands(1996)-… His most notable international co-production was The City of Lost Children , a fantasy by the French Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet .
He always maintained an interest in documentaries, with particular attention to ETA terrorism, a topic addressed with Eterio Ortega in Asesinato en febrero (2001), Perseguidos (2004) and Al final del túnel (2011). With a strong personality, he would have some disagreements with the directors he produced, but they produced his best works under his patronage and recognize their debt and respect for his creativity.