1 October 2014

Global Seminars & Invited Speaker Series

V CENTENARY OF SAINT TERESA: ART, HERITAGE AND SPIRITUALITY AROUND SAINT TERESA

Saint Teresa of Jesus in the Cinema

D. Alberto Cañada Zarranz

The presence of Saint Teresa of Jesus in the cinema has not been frequent, but it has been intense enough to have left its particular mark on the history of the seventh art. The following is a chronological account of this imprint, mainly oriented towards those stories that were conceived for the big screen, for the cinematic salons.

1926: SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF SAINT TERESA (Arturo and Francisco Beringola). Also known as "Teresa de Jesús", "Santa Teresa de Ávila" or "Santa Teresa de Jesús". Silent.
Filmed in Avila in the summer of 1925. It premiered in Avila on 1 June 1926; the film was previously viewed by "His Eminence the Cardinal Primate for his approval and censorship".

1958: TERESA DE ÁVILA (Joquín Hualde and José López Clemente) Short Film
award Silver labarum in the IV International Week of Religious Cinema 1959 for its religious merits and "For the eloquent simplicity with which it evokes the steps of Saint Teresa in the reflection of the environments in which she lived".

1961: SAINT TERESA OF JESUS (Juan de Orduña)
Starring Aurora Bautista , Eugenia Zuffoli , José Bódalo , José Moreno , Antonio Durán , Alfredo Mayo . Script by Manuel Mur Oti, Antonio Vich and José Mª Pemán.
For Eduardo T. Gil de Muro, "it was a mistake to entrust the role of Teresa to Aurora Bautista. For his part, Fernando Mendez-Leite, in his Historia del Cine español, says "Aurora Bautista's performance was excellent, one of the best of her artistic career...".

Teresa de Jesús, by Juan de Orduña, starring Aurora Bautista

1964: TERESA DE LA HISPANIDAD (Enrique Cahen Salaberry) Short film of 18 minutes, belonging to the series: "Corresponsal en España".

1967: AVILA MÍSTICA DE SANTA TERESA (Jesús Fdez. Santos and Juan García Atienza) short film made for TVE.
1973: TERESA DE JESÚS (Estudio 1; TVE, October 19, 1973) Directed by Pedro Amalio López, Script: Manuel Marquina. Cast: Carmen Bernardos, Carlos Ballesteros, Maite Blasco, Manuel Dicenta, Antonio Iranzo, Carlos Lemos, Julia Martínez, Carmen Rossi. 140 min.
1982: CASTILLO INTERIOR (César Fernández Ardavin) 6 min.
A TROCHAS Y MOCHAS (C. Fernández. Ardavin). 6 minutes
UN POQUITO DE MANJAR (César Fernádez. Ardavin) 6 minutes
THE PATHS OF TERESA (César Fernádez. Ardavin) 6 minutes

1984: TERESA DE JESÚS (Josefina Molina) TVE Series (450 minutes)
Starring Concha Velasco.
Probably the best known about the saint. Premiered on March 8, 1984. 8 episodes of almost an hour each, filmed in 35mm.
Victor Gª de la Concha, Full Professor de Hª, was the historical-literary advisor .
Carmen Martin Gaite wrote the dialogues.
2 fundamental books; "Time and life of St. Teresa" (Efrén de la Madre de Dios and Otger Steggnik) and "Teresa de Avila biography of a writer" (Rosa Rosi).
 

Concha Velasco starred in the 1984 television series Teresa de Jesús.

2003: TERESA, TERESA (Rafael Gordon) with Isabel Ordaz and Assumpta Serna
A television programme uses virtual reality to recreate Saint Teresa of Avila, who is interviewed by a frivolous presenter, who asks her questions about her life and about various subjects.

2007: TERESA BODY OF CHRIST (Ray Loriga)
The frivolous appearance of the poster and the degree scroll, are erased after viewing this "orthodox" recreation of the life of the saint. The role of Teresa de Jesús is aptly played by Paz Vega. The spectacular costume design by Eiko Ishioka, design , is surprising.

Rafael Gordon directed
in 2003 Teresa, Teresa

Paz Vega played Saint Teresa in the film Teresa. El cuerpo de Cristo, in which neither the poster nor the degree scroll were right. 

THE FOOTPRINT OF SAINT TERESA OF JESUS IN FRANCO'S SPAIN THROUGH THE NON-DODOING

-Avila de Santa Teresa (Joaquín Hualde). COLOR. No-Do 11/02/1974.
-Santa Teresa and her time (Joaquín Hualde, 1971). COLOR. NO-DO. 08/03/1971.
NO-DO 10/25/1943. Festivity of Santa Teresa, patron saint of the Women's Section of the FET and the JONS.
-NO DO 26/10/1959. Feast of St. Teresa in Avila.
-24/10/1960. Events held in honor of St. Teresa of Jesus in Avila.
-NO DO: 08/07/1963. On the occasion of the IV Centenary of the Carmelite Reform women from all over Spain meet in Avila (Women's Section of FET and the JONS).
-NO DO, 12/10/1970. Proclamation of St. Teresa as 1st doctor of the Church.
-NO DO 19/10/1970. Theatrical performance in the church of Santo Tomás de Ávila.
-30/05/1960. Inauguration of high school Santa Teresa de Jesús for the protection of minors.
-NO DO 11/01/1954. Children's book organized by the Gabinete de lectura Santa Teresa de Jesús (Catholic Action).
-2/11/1953. Education Physics at the Santa Teresa de Jesús School of Specialties at Quinta del Pardo.
-NO DO 08/02/1954. Santa Teresa kindergarten in Chantrea (Pamplona).