MIDDLEBURY — On Saturday, Nov. 9, the Hirschfield International Film Series will present “Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles” at Dana Auditorium on the Middlebury College campus, at 3 and 8 p.m. The screening is free and open to all.
Set in Paris, 1930, the infamous surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel is left penniless after the scandalous release of “L’Age d’Or” leads to a falling out with collaborator Salvador Dalí. On a whim, Buñuel’s good friend, sculptor Ramón Acín, buys a lottery ticket and promises to devote his winnings to fund Buñuel’s next film. Incredibly, Ramón wins the jackpot, sending the two friends to the remote mountains of their native Spain to film the documentary “Las Hurdes: Land Without Bread.” Driven by mad artistic impulse and haunted by childhood memories, Buñuel must confront the specter of mortality looming over the lives of his subjects — and his own.
In a stranger-than-fiction tale befitting the master filmmaker, “Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles” tells the true story behind a fascinating episode in cinematic history, utilizing sensitive performances as well as excerpts from Buñuel’s filmography to present a deeply affecting and humanistic portrait of an artist hunting for his purpose. (80 minutes).