Film director José Luis García Sánchez, winner of two Goya awards and a Golden Bear, dies in Berlin

Spanish filmmaker José Luis García Sánchez has died at the age of 85. The death was confirmed on Sunday by the Spanish Film Academy. Born in Salamanca in 1941, García Sánchez was a prominent figure in Spanish cinema, known for his satirical comedies and his ability to chronicle the social changes of his country. His career spanned nearly six decades, during which he directed numerous films and received several major international awards. He is survived by his wife, singer Rosa León, and their son, Víctor García León, who has followed his father into filmmaking. The director’s early life included studies in Law and Sociology. He belonged to a generation of filmmakers who were unable to graduate from the Official School of Cinematography due to a mass expulsion of students based on ideological reasons. Despite this setback, he entered the industry in the mid-1970s. He made his debut as a director with the critical comedy El love feroz in 1975. Two years later, in 1976, he shot his first feature film, titled Colorín, colorado. His breakthrough came two years after that with the release of Las truchas in 1978. This film earned him the Golden Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival. The production became notable for employing Argentine actors who had fled their home country to escape political repression. García Sánchez recalled that accepting these performers was a political, moral, and humanitarian obligation, even though local unions opposed the hiring of foreign workers. Following his success in Berlin, García Sánchez continued to build a diverse filmography. In 1985, he directed La corte de Faraón, starring Ana Belén and Antonio Banderas. This film won the Silver Shell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. Later in his career, he adapted works by authors close to him. He brought Ramón del Valle-Inclán’s play Divinas palabras to the screen. He also adapted the novel Tranvía a la Malvarosa by Manuel Vicent in 1997. His final film, released in 2011, was Tirano Banderas, adapted from the novel Los muertos no se tocan, nene by Rafael Azcona. García Sánchez was highly regarded for his work as a screenwriter. He shared two Goya Awards for Best Screenplay. The first was for Belle Époque in 1992, a project co-written with Rafael Azcona and Fernando Trueba. The second Goya was awarded in 1993 for Tirano Banderas, a script he shared with Azcona. He also received the Honorary Spike from the Valladolid International Film Festival, known locally as the Seminci. The Film Academy described him as a chronicler of his time. They noted that he spent almost 60 years developing projects, watching films, and engaging with cinematic heritage. Above all, they emphasized his dedication to making friends within the industry. His professional relationships were central to his reputation. The Academy highlighted his humility, noting that he often attributed his success to luck and to crossing paths with excellent professionals and friends. Colleagues praised his intelligence, sharp observation skills, dry wit, and good humor. Many stated that working with him was both an educational experience and a source of enjoyment. A long list of collaborators and friends attended to his legacy, including Rafael Azcona, Antonio Gamero, Ana Belén, Víctor Manuel, Juan Diego, Charo López, José Sacristán, Manolo Gutiérrez Aragón, Emilio Martínez-Lázaro, Borja Cobeaga, Fernando Méndez-Leite, María Barranco, Imanol Uribe, Fernando Trueba, Juan Gona, Tina Sainz, and Manuel Vicent. García Sánchez maintained a particularly deep bond with writer Rafael Azcona. They met in the 1970s and developed a lifelong friendship characterized by constant debate, mutual correction, and shared laughter. Their collaboration resulted in some of the freest and most discussed films in Spanish cinema history. García Sanchez once joked that the only bad thing Azcona ever did to him was die. He viewed cinema as a devotion to language and humor, using these tools to dismantle societal structures. He frequently cited Azcona’s work as a mirror that showed society its ugliest face, arguing that in Francoist Spain, one had to be miserly just to survive. He believed their characters were ordinary people rather than heroes, which allowed audiences to laugh at themselves. The filmmaker was also known for his personal anecdotes and storytelling abilities. Friends described him as an inexhaustible conversant who could recount stories better than anyone else. He possessed a unique verbal style and a peculiar physical presence. One specific anecdote recounted by the Academy involved his role in securing a part for Ana Belén in La corte de Faraón. He acted as a link for producer Luis Sanz to offer her the role. He also spoke fondly of his time at the film school, joking that there was no censorship and that tuition cost only 148 pesetas. His son, Víctor García León, has continued the family tradition in cinema. Víctor directed the recent film Altas capacidades. He described his father as having a voracity for friendship. According to Víctor, García Sánchez would make an effort to like people who initially annoyed him if it meant he could work with them. The Film Academy’s obituary concluded by remembering his persistent nature and his ability to connect with others over decades. His body of work includes other titles such as Suspiros de España (y Portugal). The industry mourns the loss of a director who combined artistic vision with a profound sense of camaraderie and historical awareness.