“Cycles of Life: El cielo gira and Spanish Autobiographical Documentary”

Abstract

This chapter intends to examine in the first place why Spanish filmmakers have scarcely adopted an autobiographical approach to documentary, while commenting briefly on those that have appeared during the 2000s. Then, I will analyse closely El cielo gira, which can be considered the best autobiographical film to date from Spain. Its approach may serve as an example of a certain type of Spanish documentary, where it blends an auterist look with a contemplative style, in order to explore in this case the layers of our country with a microhistorical lens.