Pa Negre (Black Bread)

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Pa negre
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Agustí Villaronga
Produced by	Isona Passola
Screenplay by	Agustí Villaronga
Based on	Black Bread by Emili Teixidor
Starring	Francesc Colomer Marina Comas Nora Navas Roger Casamajor Laia Marull Eduard Fernández Sergi López
Cinematography	Antonio Riestra
Studio	Massa d'Or Produccions TVC TVE
Release date(s)	21 September 2010 (San Sebastián) 15 October 2010 (Spain)
Running time	108 minutes
Country	Spain
Language	Catalan
Budget	$6 million

Black Bread (Catalan: Pa negre, IPA: [ˈpa ˈnɛɣɾə]) is a 2010 Catalan-language Spanish drama film written and directed by Agustí Villaronga. The screenplay is based on the same-titled novel by Emili Teixidor, with elements of two other works by him, Retrat d'un assassí d'ocells and Sic transit Gloria Swanson.

The film won nine Goya Awards, including best film, best director and best adapted screenplay.

Plot

In the harsh post-war years' Catalan countryside, Dionís, a bird dealer, is attacked by a man in a hooded cape while leading his horse drawn wagon through a darkened forest. The assailant kills Dionís, leads the blindfolded horse to a cliff's edge then pulls the wagon with Dionís and his son, Culet, off the cliff. Andreu, an 11-year-old boy, discovers the wreckage of the fallen cart. Culet is still alive but manages only to say a word before dying: Pitorliua, the name that villagers have given to a ghost believe to live in a cave. The falangist major of the town suspects that Farriol, Andreu’s father, is involved in the deaths of Dionis and his son. Farriol, who was Dionís’s business partner dealing with birds, is an easy target for incrimination due to his suspicious background as a supportive of the Second Spanish Republic, which was repressed by the Francoist Spain. Years ago the major and Farriol were rivals vying for the love of Florència, Andreu’s mother, who ultimately chose Farriol as her husband cementing the major resentment against both of them. Fearing for his life, Farrol decides to flee and cross the border into France. Florència has to work in a factory in Vic so Andreu is sent to live with his paternal relatives in a house full of women and children. Àvia, Andreu’s old grandmother and Ció, a widower aunt who had a son a few years older than Andreu, work looking after the country home of the richest family of the region, the Manuben. There is also a younger aunt, Enriqueta, who is being pressured into marry an older neighbor she does not love. The grim household is completed with Andreu’s orphan cousin Núria, a maimed but beautiful girl around his age, who lost a hand while playing with a grenade.

Soon Andreu begins to unearth family’s dark secrets. His aunt, Enriqueta, is the talk of the village because she is carrying a secret affair with a civil guard. The precocious and lively Núria is engaging in sexual games with her alcoholic school teacher. Andreu befriends an older boy who he first spots bathing naked in a river in the forest. The boy is a consumptive patience in a nearby monastery, who imagines he has angels' wings. Andreu helps him setting a side some food for him. Farriol, as Andreu’s accidentally discovers, has not really left for France but is hiding in the farm house's attic.

Núria and Andreu become frequent companions roaming the mysterious forest together. She has a crush on him and tries a sex game, but he rejects her sexual advances. When the major orders to search the farmhouse Farriol is found and sent to prison. Farriol furtively tells Andreu to convince Florència to ask for help to the influential Mrs. Manubens. Florència pays her a visit. Because the rich lady is childless and has a weakness for children Florència takes Andreu with her. Mrs. Manubens reluctantly writes a letter to the major interceding for Farriol. However the major tries to take sexual advantage from Florència instead.Andreu slowly discovers that her mother has a secret of her own. In her youth she was a close friend of Pitorliua, the ghost of the legend, who was actually a delicate young man. Visiting his burial place, Andreu and Núria encounter Pauletta, Dionís’s half demented widow. Pauletta tells them that Pitorliua was the homosexual lover of the only brother of Mrs. Manubens and because of this he was castrated implying that Farriol had something to do with it. Exploring the cave where Pitorliua was castrated Andreu and Núria discover the names of the culprits on the wall: Dionís and Farriol. Andreu confronts his mother and Florència confesses that Dionís and Farriol where paid by Mrs. Manubens to scare Pitorliua off, but things went too far.

Farriol is condemned to death. Before he is executed Florència and Andreu visit him in jail to say goodbye. He tells his son not to forget his ideals. After Farriol’s funeral Pauletta spiteful reveals to Florència and Andreu that Farriol was the killer of her husband and son following orders of Mrs. Manubens. Dionís tried to blackmail her and Mrs. Manubens first got rid of Dionís and then of Farriol. The rich lady bought Farriol’s silence in exchange of providing an excellent education for Andreu. Andreu begins to reject his family full of lies and deceptions. Instead of running away with Núria as they originally planned, he ultimately accepts to be educated with expenses paid by Mrs. Manubens. Florència comes to see him at the boarding school, but Andreu has not forgiven his parents. When a classmate asks him who was the woman who came to see him he said it was a woman from his village.

Cast

• Francesc Colomer as Andreu
• Marina Comas as Núria
• Nora Navas as Florència
• Roger Casamajor as Farriol
• Lluïsa Castell as Ció
• Merce Aranega as Sra. Manubens
• Laia Marull as Pauletta
• Marina Gatell as Enriqueta
• Elisa Crehuet as Àvia
• Eduard Fernández as the teacher
• Sergi López as the major

Prizes

Goya Awards (Spain)

• Won: Best Actress– Leading Role (Nora Navas)
• Won: Best Actress – Supporting Role (Laia Marull)
• Won: Best Art Direction (Ana Alvargonzález)
• Won: Best Breakthrough Actor (Francesc Colomer)
• Won: Best Breakthrough Actress (Marina Comas)
• Won: Best Cinematography (Antonio Riestra)
• Won: Best Director (Agustí Villaronga)
• Won: Best Picture
• Won: Best Screenplay – Adapted (Agustí Villaronga)
• Nominated: Best Actor – Supporting Role (Sergi López)
• Nominated: Best Costume Design (Mercè Paloma)
• Nominated: Best Make Up
• Nominated: Best Production Supervisor (Aleix Castellón)
• Nominated: Best Sound

San Sebastián International Film Festival (Spain)

• Won: Best Actress (Nora Navas)

Gaudí Awards (Catalonia, Spain)

• Won: Best Film in Catalan Language
• Won: Best Actress– Leading Role (Nora Navas)
• Won: Best Actress – Supporting Role (Marina Comas)
• Won: Best Actor – Supporting Role (Roger Casamajor)
• Won: Best Director (Agustí Villaronga)
• Won: Best Screenplay (Agustí Villaronga)
• Won: Best Picture (Antonio Riestra)
• Won: Best Art Direction (Ana Alvargonzález)
• Won: Best Production Supervisor (Aleix Castellón)
• Won: Best Sound (Dani Fonrodona, Fernando Novillo and Ricard Casals)
• Won: Best Make Up (Satur Merino i Alma Casal)
• Won: Best Sound (José Manuel Pagán)
• Won: Best Costume Design (Mercè Paloma)
• Won: Best Film Editing (Raúl Román)