"Just like The Purple Rose of Cairo, some 65 characters from more than 35 films have stepped out of the Albéniz Cinema screens and moved to the walls of the old buffet". This is how the artist Ángel Idígoras sums up his Mural of Spanish Cinema, a piece that decorates the walls of the municipal cinema and which the artist inaugurated today together with the Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre; Councillor for Culture and Historical Heritage, Mariana Pineda; Councillor for Operational Services, Beaches and Festivals, Teresa Porrasand the manager of Málaga Procultura, Juan Antonio Vigar.
 
This pictorial tribute to Spanish cinema —which includes everything from 1909 title Viaje a Júpiter to more recent films, such as El 47— Ángel Idígoras and his team (his family: Pablo, Marta, Daniel and Sonia Codes) have painted major figures from the history of Spanish cinema, life-size, with black and white wall paint.
 
He explains that it was very difficult to select the characters as the intention was to represent some of the most important films, without repeating actors or directors. Many great films have inevitably been left out, including some of his favourites. "Although we enjoyed absolute freedom in the selection, we had the help of Juan Antonio Vigar and Juanlu Artacho, who are more knowledgeable about the art of filmmaking," adds Idígoras.
 
He gives some details of the creation process: "It took three months of work, about 12 litres of paint, a lot of brushes, ten sticks of charcoal, two ladders and the moral support of all the cinema workers and the spectators in hall 4 who, without expecting it, found a guy trying to represent Ana Torrent's gaze, another painting Fernando Rey's Rocinante, another one busy with the bricks of the Alcazaba, a painter busy with the patches of Paco Rabal from Los santos inocentes and another one lying on the floor, filling in the mural".
 
"It’s been a long and difficult job, with challenges arising at every corner that we’ve been able to overcome, thanks in part to the encouragement of strangers, such as a lady who bought croissants for everyone," he concludes.
 
To mark the inauguration of this mural, Albéniz Cinema will screen a cycle of six films reflected in this work by Idígoras, all in hall 3 at a price of 6 euros (5 for Club Albéniz members), with tickets going on sale today:
 

• 4 November: El viaje a ninguna parte, Fernando Fernán Gómez (1986)
• 11 November: Muerte de un ciclista, Juan Antonio Bardem (1955)
• 25 November: La torre de los 7 jorobados, Edgar Neville (1944)
• 2 December: El crimen de Cuenca, Pilar Miró (1980)
• 9 December: Atraco a las tres, José María Forqué (1962)
• 16 December: Amanece que no es poco, José Luis Cuerda (1989)

 
Ángel Idígoras unravels his biography
 
My name is Ángel Rodríguez Idígoras, I was born in Malaga in 1962. I spent my childhood in a small fishing village, five metres from the beach. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. 
 
I have a degree in Psychology from the University of Comillas and specialised in Gestalt Psychotherapy. I worked as a psychotherapist until had the opportunity to draw and get paid for it, back in 1987.
 
I’ve published illustrations and cartoons in El Mundo, El Periódico de Cataluña, Supermortadelo, Sur, El Jueves, Gaceta de Málaga and many other newspapers and magazines.
 
I’ve been awarded prizes such as the Tono Graphic Humour Prize by Madrid City Council; the Artur Prize for the Best Humour Work of the year at Gijón Comic Week; prizes at the Comic Festivals of Huelva, Almería and Vélez Málaga; the Gold Medal of the Day of Andalusia in Malaga; the Gold Medal of the Province of Málaga; the Ateneo de Málaga Medal; the Garrido Moraga Cultural Prize; Honorary Professor of the University of Alcalá de Henares; the Elgar Graphic Humour Prize; the Cadena Ser Prize in Malaga; the Cadena Cope Prize in Malaga; the Prize for the Best Spanish Drawing at the Courtoing Festival in France, etc.
 
I’ve had numerous solo exhibitions in Malaga, Granada, Lugo, Alcalá de Henares, at the Cervantes Institutes of Casablanca and Curitiba, Barcelona, etc. And group exhibitions in many countries in Latin America, Italy, Belgium, etc. My work is on display at the Spanish Parliament, Manuel Alcántara Foundation, Picasso's Birthplace, Malaga City Council, among others.
 
I’m the author of books such as Aventuras de 52 magos y un fakir de Cuenca on the history of magic, children's books Los 33 Reyes Magos and El caso de la pizarra embrujada, and numerous compilations of the character Pascual, mayordomo Real, published in El Jueves. I coordinated the book El valor terapéutico del humor and have illustrated, alone or with Pachi, Platero y yo, Historia ilustrada de la Medicina, Mejor es posible, Justo a tiempo, Pickpockett, etc. My latest book is Kota y el niño.
 
I have given numerous workshops on caricature and more than 150 workshops on improvised storytelling to students and teachers.
I have given conferences at the Andalusian Congress of Cultural Volunteering, the Luna Mora Festival, the Malaga Volunteering Platform, and keynote speeches at the Andalusian Congress of Volunteering, the Malaga Book Fair, Silleda Humour Week, the Guadalajara Book Fair in Mexico, the Inaugural Conference of the Malaga Carnival, etc.
 
As an illusionist I have performed in Malaga, Cadiz, Seville, Lugo, Madrid, Granada and Alicante.
 
For seven years I’ve been the coordinator of the magazine Ríete, produced by the children admitted to the Maternity Hospital in Malaga, and coordinator of recreational activities for the Association of Children's Oncology Volunteers of Malaga.
 
I’ve been a board member of the Theodora Foundation for hospital clowns for 14 years.
 
I’m the creator of the Children's Humour and Magic Festival JAJEJIJOJÚ, which funds the Children's Oncology Volunteers Association of Malaga.