I’ve read that El Sur is possibly the most beautiful Spanish film ever made. I eventually saw it, and it is quite gorgeous. Evokes Days of Heaven by Terrence Malick or Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia. It’s made by Victor Erice, who also did Spirit of the Beehive, considered one of the best 70’s Spanish films.

El Sur is so hard to find, though. I eventually just bought it from Criterion. The story is part coming-of-age, part a film of love lost. It’s a quiet film, and the story is told as much through imagery as through the sparse dialogue. This is filmmaking from a past era, but well worth checking out.