Lasa & Zabala was the first case handled by GAL (Groups Anti-terroristas de Liberacion), Spain’s state-sponsored anti- terrorist organisation. In 1983, the alleged Basque terrorists Joxean Lasa and Joxi Zabala were apprehended in Bayonne, in France, before being taken across the border to San Sebastian and brutally tortured. Their bodies were found in a shallow grave in Alicante 12 years later, after they had been buried in quicklime. Thus begins a lengthy legal investigation to find the perpetrators and return their bodies home. This forms the bulk of Pablo Malo’s film as scenes from the investigation are peppered with flashbacks to torture and fatal explosions to illustrate the brutality of this period in Spain’s past.
The film’s opening title sequence is emotive and well structured, placing us almost in a thriller. The effect is lost momentarily by the opening scenes, which are a necessary if somewhat tedious introduction to a series of sweater-wearing Basque characters. Once the identities of Lasa and Zabala, as well as their fates and the major players involved, become clearer, the pace picks up intermittently, although some of the detective sequences are still plodding. Their fate is a foregone conclusion: Lasa & Zabala deals with the fight to bring the truth to modern Spain.
Malo handles a sensitive political topic with an even hand and an appropriate distance from both parties. This makes it an accurate and ultimately rewarding film but one which lacks the Hollywood gloss of more biased, fictionalised pictures. His refusal to shy away from scenes of brutality is commendable. The impact is heightened by the raw performances of Christian Mercha (Joxi Zabala) and Jon Anza (Joxean Lasa). Unax Ugalde is also particularly brilliant as the dogged lawyer, Inigo. The cinematography is unobtrusive, while the colour palate is appropriate in its industrial, bleak greyness. One wonders if some harsher editing could have made a more compelling film, although it’s clear that Malo aimed to fit a large chunk of information into 107 minutes.
It’s a testament to Spanish film and politics that a thriller like Lasa & Zabala can be made now. While its niche subject means it is unlikely to have a cinema run in many places outside of Spain, it’s a deserved inclusion in the Spanish Film Festival and a worthwhile watch for politically minded cinephiles.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Lasa & Zabala
Directed by Pablo Malo
Spain, 2014, 107 mins
Spanish Film Festival
www.spanishfilmfestival.com
Sydney: 21 April – 10 May
Melbourne: 22 April – 10 May
Brisbane: 29 April – 13 May
Canberra: 23 April – 6 May
Adelaide: 6-20 May
Perth: 23 April – 6 May
Byron Bay: 30 April – 7 May
Hobart: 7-13 May
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