Juana and Rafael live on the outskirts of Barcelona and are in love, paying little attention to the conflict between their two rival families: the Tarantos and the Zorongos.

Rovira-Beleta, who had recently established himself with major film noirs, founded his own production company to make this film, which surprised everyone. With roots in cinema verité and even Italian neorealism, he innovatively linked these to musical cinema to create a great tragedy in which the artists Carmen Amaya and Antonio Gades shine. The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 1964, competing with Fellini’s “8½”.

“Los Tarantos” discovered an unknown Barcelona, that of the slums of the underprivileged classes, at a time when Franco’s regime wanted to project an image of openness and development.

Flamenco, singing, dancing and passion become the narrative as the story of Romeo and Juliet (or Lorca’s “Blood Wedding”) is transposed into the world of the gypsies with the protagonists of this unforgettable film drawing the viewer in from the outset and attesting to the creative force of the region.

Javier Garcia Puerto