Organised by the San Sebastián Film Festival and the Basque Government, the competition aims to promote and raise awareness of locally-sourced products.
Esperantza, directed by Josu Ozaita, and Eskuak, by Mikel Urretabizkaia, have respectively bagged first and second prize at the fourth edition of the Eusko Label micro-short film competition. The San Sebastian Festival and the Basque Government, through HAZI, a public company belonging to the Basque Government Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries organise this initiative seeking to promote and support locally-sourced products from the Basque Country through the cinema, while fostering and raising awareness of all aspects related to sustainability in our world of agriculture, livestock and fishing.
Esperantza, winner of the Euskal Label first prize coming with 6,000 euros, accompanies an anthropologist as she submerges herself in Getaria’s local life while trying to find out why it is the best place in the world to eat fish. For its part, Eskuak, second prize with 4,000 euros, uses hands to portray the process of making excellent quality products such as Idiazabal cheese.
Raimundo Ruíz Escudero, director-general of HAZI, presided over the jury, alongside María Alcántara, head of Legumes and Quality at Garlan, and the chef Andoni Luis Aduriz. The event was also attended by Amaia Barredo, Deputy Minister for Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Basque Government, and the Festival’s Deputy Director, Maialen Beloki.
The San Sebastián Aquarium provided the venue for this afternoon’s awards ceremony plus screening of the winning works and the runners up. The Eusko Label Award is falls within the Origin: Euskadi section, organised jointly by the San Sebastián Festival and the Basque Government through HAZI, and is divided into two activities. On the one hand, this Eusko Label Award and, on the other, screening at the Victoria Eugenia Theatre of the medium-length film Ondarea. Euskal Sukaldaritza Berriak, 50 urte / Ondarea. 50 Years of New Basque Cuisine.
First Prize
ESPERANTZA
Josu Ozaita (Spain)
Country(ies) of production: Spain
Cast: Kepa Etxegoien, Aitor Arregi
Why is Getaria is the best place in the world to eat fish? Driven by that question, an anthropologist heads for the coastal town. She makes her way down to the quay every day to record the life of the place, even if it means getting up at 3:30 in the morning. Phone in hand, she will film every secret she comes across; however, with time, she will no longer be a simple onlooker but will become a part of that singular community.