Giant (2017 film)

Giant
Spanish release poster
Handia
Directed by Aitor Arregi
Jon Garaño
Produced by Xabier Berzosa
Iñaki Gómez
Iñigo Obeso
Written by Andoni De Carlos
José Mari Goenaga
Aitor Arregi
Jon Garaño
Starring Joseba Usabiaga
Eneko Sagardoy
Iñigo Aranburu
Ramón Agirre
Aia Kruse
Music by Pascal Gaigne
Cinematography Javier Agirre Erauso
Edited by Laurent Dufreche
Raúl López
Production
companies
Irusoin
Kowalski Films
Moriarti Produkzioak
EITB
TVE
Release date
  • 23 September 2017 (2017-09-23) (San Sebastián)
  • 20 October 2017 (2017-10-20) (Spain)
Running time
 114 minutes
Country Spain
Language Basque
(some dialogue in Spanish, French, English, Arabic and Portuguese)
Box office $912,912[1][2]

Giant (Original title: Handia) is a 2017 Basque language drama film directed by Aitor Arregi and Jon Garaño.[3] The film is based on the life of Miguel Joaquín Eleizegui Arteaga (1818-1861) who suffered from gigantism and was known as the "Giant from Altzo". The film premiered at the 2017 San Sebastián International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Special Jury Prize.[4] The film was also screened at the 2017 BFI London Film Festival.[5]

At the 32nd Goya Awards, the film won ten awards, including Best Original Screenplay, Best New Actor (Eneko Sagardoy), and Best Original Score (Pascal Gaigne).[6]

Plot

An unwilling conscript in the First Carlist War, Martín returns to his family's farmhouse to find that his younger brother Joaquín has become a giant. Martín sees the commercial opportunity in marketing the "tallest man on Earth" as a freak attraction, and they travel around Europe with the increasingly distressed Joaquín serving as a circus act. Joaquín measures himself each night and is horrified that he continues to grow, well into adulthood, suspecting that the condition is terminal.

For a time Martín believes he is at home with sophisticated medical doctors interested in understanding his brother's condition, yet his background, clothes, and Basque accent betray him, and they laugh at him as a mere farmhand or peasant. Embittered, he travels abroad.

In one scene, the brothers visit Stonehenge, England, where in a surreal, early morning ritual, Joaquín is introduced to a potential female love interest, who is also a giant.[7] She seems interested, but Joaquín is too self-conscious and possessing a self awareness Martin lacks, in the end repulsed by someone of a similar condition.

Critical appraisal

The film won several Goya awards in Spain and has been described as the most technically accomplished to date Basque-language movie. English language critics have been equally enthusiastic, praising especially its visual brilliance while noting that the plot loses momentum towards the end.[7]

Giant has a rating of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes indicating mostly favourable reviews.[8]

Cast

  • Joseba Usabiaga as Martín
  • Eneko Sagardoy as Joaquín
  • Iñigo Aranburu as Arzadun
  • Ramon Agirre as Antonio
  • Aia Kruse as María

Awards

AwardsDate of ceremonyCategoryNomineesResultRef.
65th San Sebastián International Film Festival September 30, 2017 Golden Shell for Best FilmNominated[4]
Special Jury PrizeWon
V Premios Feroz January 22, 2018 Best Drama FilmNominated[9][10]
Best DirectorAitor Arregi
Jon Garaño		Nominated
Best Original SoundtrackPascal GaigneWon
Best Film PosterIñaki VilluendasWon
32nd Goya Awards February 3, 2018 Best FilmNominated
Best DirectorAitor Arregi
Jon Garaño		Nominated
Best New ActorEneko SagardoyWon[11][12]
Best Original ScreenplayJon Garaño
José María Goenaga
Aitor Arregi		Won
Best Production SupervisionAnder SistiagaWon[13][14]
Best EditingLaurent Dufreche
Raúl López		Won
Best Original ScorePascal GaigneWon
Best CinematographyJavier Aguirre ErausoWon
Best Art DirectionMikel SerranoWon
Best Costume DesignSaioa LaraWon
Best Makeup and HairstylesAinhoa Eskisabel
Olga Cruz
Gorka Aguirre		Won
Best SoundIñaki Díez
Xanti Salvador		Nominated
Best Special EffectsJon Serrano
David Heras		Won

References

  1. ↑ "Handia (Giant)". The Numbers. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "Handia (Giant)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  3. ↑ Belinchón, Gregorio (25 September 2017). "El ying y el yang del gigante vasco". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Official Awards - FIAPF". San Sebastián International Film Festival. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  5. ↑ "Giant". BFI London Film Festival. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  6. ↑ Blanes, Pepa (February 3, 2018). "Premios Goya 2018 'La librería', de Isabel Coixet, triunfa en los Goya de las mujeres". RTVE (in Spanish). Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Holland, Jonathan. "'Giant' ('Handia'): Film Review". Hollywoodreporter.com, 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018
  8. ↑ "Handia". "Rotten Tomatoes". Retrieved 13 May 2018
  9. ↑ "Lista completa de los nominados a los Premios Feroz 2018". ECartelera (in Spanish). 6 December 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  10. ↑ "La lista completa de ganadores de los premios Feroz 2018". El Huffington Post (in Spanish). 23 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  11. ↑ "Eneko Sagardoy, mejor actor revelación por 'Handia'". Radiotelevisión Española (in Spanish). February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  12. ↑ EFE (February 4, 2018). "Eneko Sagardoy, Goya al mejor actor revelación por "Handia"". EL Diario (in Spanish). Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Ander Sistiaga, Mejor Dirección de Producción por 'Handía". Radiotelevisión Española (in Spanish). February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Ander Sistiaga, Mejor Dirección de Producción por 'Handia'". Europa Press (in Spanish). Madrid. February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
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