On Wednesday 19 March, the Festival de Málaga hosted the screening of six documentaries that focus on everything from art and literature to fashion and social transformation. They have offered the audience a journey through the careers of artists and creators who have left their mark in their respective disciplines.

'Paco Rabanne. A life outside the pattern': a rebel with a big heart

The enfant terrible of fashion, the tailor of metallurgy, the writer with visions of the end of the world... The documentary 'Paco Rabanne. A life outside the pattern' plunges into the labyrinth of the mind of one of the last great revolutionaries of haute couture. Based on a telephone conversation, the last interview before his death, the film, directed by Tirma Pérez and Pepa G. Ramos, portrays his childhood as a child of two wars to his final days as a fugitive from his own fame.

"This documentary was a big challenge because Paco was clear that he didn't want his image to be shown. He also found it difficult to speak. He didn't want to go back to the media. But once this obstacle was overcome, everything went great", Pepa G. Ramos told the audience that attended the screening this afternoon at the María Victoria Atencia Cultural Centre.

'Looking at the Moment': art by Rita Rutkowski

Directed by Isidro Sánchez, this documentary explores the life and work of the painter Rita Rutkowski. Through a visual and sound approach, the film portrays her career from the 20th century to the present day, combining images with the poetry of T. S. Eliot and the music of José María Sánchez-Verdú.
The participants in the documentary include Anna Freixas, Raquel Fernández Rutkowski and Virginia Bersabé.

The filmmaker confessed that this presentation feels like "coming home", as it is 10 years since he presented his first feature film worldwide at this Festival. He took the opportunity to apologise for the absence of the evening's main character, Rita Rutkowski herself. "Rita has had a mishap and has not been able to join us, but she was looking forward to coming to Malaga, especially today, as the premiere is on her birthday".

'Somewhere in the mind': theatre and mental health on stage

Directed by Pep Bonet, this documentary follows José Corbacho and Catalina Solivellas as they adapt 'Don Quixote' with amateur actors from Majorca diagnosed with mental health problems. The film shows how theatre can be therapeutic and transformative in difficult times.

The director Pep Bonet, renowned for his work in photography and documentary film, delves into this theatrical experience to explore the connection between art and mental health. The cast includes Aina Romera, César López, Esther Sierra, Francisca Perelló, Guillem Pérez, Maje Mayrata, María Isabel Llaneras, Miquel Gomila, Nena Perelló, Simó Sastre and Toni Ramón, who did not want to miss the premiere from the fifth row of the auditorium and came on stage to receive the warmth of the applause.

Both Pep Bonet and José Corbacho shared a funny colloquium in which they labelled their work as experimental.

'Running, creating, collaborating': cinema, sport and solidarity

Directed by Josep Serra, 'Running, creating, collaborating' narrates the personal and professional transformation of Ibon Cormenzana, a filmmaker who decided to fuse his passions for cinema and running in solidarity initiatives. The film follows his challenge to run 170 km on Mont Blanc, his collaboration in social projects in Ethiopia and the creation of MundoCero, a social film production company that donates its profits to NGOs.

The screening took place in the Echegaray Theatre and was attended by the director of the documentary and the main character, Ibon Cormenzana, who confessed that for him, running is a way to empowerment: "I don't remember what my life was like before I started running. For me it is a therapeutic tool and a reflection of the culture of effort."

'The poet of the heart': a tribute to Vicente Aleixandre

Rafael Alcázar's documentary takes an in-depth look at the figure of Vicente Aleixandre, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1977 and an outstanding member of the Generation of '27. The film explores his life, his poetic work and his role as a mentor to young poets, with testimonies from relevant figures such as Luis Alberto de Cuenca, Luis Antonio de Villena and María Victoria Atencia.

With the assistance of the renowned director Rafael Alcázar, the screening took place in the Christine Ruiz-Picasso Auditorium, where the colloquium was also held after the screening. "I didn't know Vicente Aleixandre well, but talking to different writers I discovered that Vicente was an extraordinary poet and a very good person. Unfortunately, people no longer remember him nowadays and that is why RTVE has decided to produce this documentary", explained Rafael Alcázar.

'A little bit of everywhere': identity on the move

Directed by Alex O'Dogherty, this documentary investigates the origin of his surname and the search for identity in a world marked by migration. Through a personal and family journey, the film reflects on the sense of belonging and cultural diversity.

Among the participants in the documentary are Luis O'Dogherty (his father), Vicenta Ndongo, Emilio Buale, Alberto Jo Lee and Maika Makovski. Luis was the main character of one of the most exciting moments of the colloquium, when, at the request of a spectator, Alex initiated a video call so that he could receive the audience's ovation and congratulations. "My father is a very methodical person. As soon as he retired, he began to collect information, he did meticulous work in a patient and persevering way. I have collected all this admirable process and I have captured it in the documentary."

The filmmaker shared his excitement at the premiere in Malaga and stressed the importance of learning about our roots: "If we look hard enough, we are all descended from immigrants. Actually, I'm a little bit of everywhere."

Following their screening at the Festival de Málaga, these documentaries will begin a tour of cinemas and international festivals.