Alejandro "ÃÂlex" de la Iglesia Mendoza (born 4 December 1965) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, producer and former comic book artist.
De la Iglesia's films combine grotesque and very dark elements such as death and murder: most of his works are considered dark comedies, but are also often considered to have horror and/or drama elements. All his films, with the notable exceptions of The Last Circus (2010) and As Luck Would Have It (2011), were written together with Jorge GuerricaechevarrÃÂa.
Studies and early career
With a degree in philosophy from the University of Deusto, De la Iglesia began drawing comics in fanzines such as No, el fanzine maldito and Metacrilato, as well as in magazines such as Trokola, Burdinjaun and La RÃÂa del Ocio. De la Iglesia always acknowledges Alex Raymond (creator of Flash Gordon) and Stan Lee (founder of Marvel Comics and co-creator of Spider-Man and The Hulk) as his main inspiration as a comics artist.
It was also around this time, between 1986 and 1989, when he founded in Bilbao one of the first role-game clubs in Spain: Los Pelotas.
In his debut in the film industry, De la Iglesia was art director in the short film Mamá (1988), by Pablo Berger, and again in Enrique UrbizuâÂÂs feature Todo por la pasta (Anything for Bread (1991). De la Iglesia had already collaborated with Enrique Urbizu and JoaquÃÂn Trincado designing the poster for their first film, Tu novia está loca (1988).
ÃÂlex de la IglesiaâÂÂs first short film, Mirindas asesinas (1991), got the attention of Pedro Almodóvar, whose production company, El Deseo, collaborated in De la Iglesia's first feature film, Acción mutante (the sci-fi actioner) (1993).
El dÃÂa de la Bestia
De la IglesiaâÂÂs next movie would establish him as one of the most important directors of Spanish cinema: El dÃÂa de la Bestia (1995), written with Jorge GuerricaechevarrÃÂa, co-screenwriter in most of ÃÂlex de la IglesiaâÂÂs films since then. Released internationally as âÂÂThe day of the BeastâÂÂ, the film won six Goya awards, including the award for Best Director. This piece turned Santiago Segura into one of Spain's best-known actors and brought back actress Terele Pávez, her being a regular in his movies until her demise in 2017.
Maverick director
Subsequently, De la Iglesia has been combining productions aimed at an international audience, with others closer to the Spanish cultural taste, but all displaying his sublimely witted, often dark, and sometimes even grotesque, sense of humor. Many veteran Spanish actors and actresses have worked under his direction, from Carmen Maura to MarÃÂa Asquerino, as well as several Hollywood stars like Rosie Pérez, Elijah Wood, John Hurt or Salma Hayek.
He directed the performances of Javier Bardem, Rosie Pérez and James Gandolfini in Perdita Durango (1997); Santiago Segura and El Gran Wyoming in Muertos de risa (âÂÂDying of LaughterâÂÂ, 1999); Carmen Maura, Manuel Tejada and Paca Gabaldón in La comunidad (âÂÂCommon WealthâÂÂ, 2000); Sancho Gracia, ÃÂngel de Andrés López and Eusebio Poncela in 800 balas (âÂÂ800 BulletsâÂÂ, 2002); Guillermo Toledo, Mónica Cervera and Kira Miró in Crimen ferpecto (âÂÂFerpect CrimeâÂÂ, 2004); and Elijah Wood, Leonor Watling and John Hurt in Los crÃÂmenes de Oxford (âÂÂThe Oxford MurdersâÂÂ, 2007).
Balada triste de trompeta
His film, Balada triste de trompeta (âÂÂThe Last CircusâÂÂ, 2010) was awarded two prizes at the 67th Venice International Film Festival, namely, an Osella for Best Screenplay and the Silver Lion for Best Direction. It was also nominated for fifteen Goya awards in 2011, including Best Director, Best Film And Best Original Screenplay. It got to receive the awards for Best Makeup and Best Special Effects. The New York Times praised the movie on a raving piece when the film opened theatrically in the US.
Box Office Hits: Las brujas de Zugarramurdi and Perfectos desconocidos
In 2011, De la Iglesia released La chispa de la vida (âÂÂAs Luck Would Have ItâÂÂ), starring José Mota and Salma Hayek, and shot in the coastal Spanish town of Cartagena.
2013 was the year of Las brujas de Zugarramurdi (âÂÂWitching & BitchingâÂÂ), one of ÃÂlex de la IglesiaâÂÂs most successful movies, praised by audience and critics. He began shooting it in the fall of 2012 with an extensive cast that included Carmen Maura, Macarena Gómez, Hugo Silva, Mario Casas, Carolina Bang, Terele Pávez and Pepón Nieto, and some cameos by Santiago Segura and Carlos Areces. The film was released in Spain on September 27, 2013, and achieved relevant commercial success, grossing 14.6 million euros, with a total cost of 6Mâ¬. It was awarded eight Goyas, including Best Supporting Actress for the veteran actress, Terele Pávez.
De la Iglesia then surprised everyone with Mi gran noche (âÂÂMy Big NightâÂÂ, 2015), an ensemble film that marked Spanish singer superstar RaphaelâÂÂs comeback to cinema after 40years. Raphael heads a huge cast that included Mario Casas, Pepón Nieto, Blanca Suárez, Carlos Areces, Luis Callejo, Carmen Machi, Jaime Ordóñez, Santiago Segura, Enrique Villén, Hugo Silva, Carolina Bang, Terele Pávez, Carmen Ruiz, Marta Guerras, Ana Polvorosa, Toni Acosta and Luis Fernández, among many others. Mi gran noche was another box-office success for its director, grossing almost three times the four million euros it cost.
In 2017, ÃÂlex de la Iglesia released two films: El Bar, with several of his already regular actors (Blanca Suárez, Mario Casas, Carmen Machi, Pepón Nieto, Terele Pávez), and the remake of the Italian film Perfetti sconosciuti, titled in Spanish Perfectos desconocidos (âÂÂPerfect Stragersâ internationally), with another impressive cast including Belén Rueda and Eduardo Noriega. Perfectos desconocidos was the director's biggest box-office return to date, with almost 20 million euros grossed.
The rise of Pokeepsie Films
In 2009, producer Carolina Bang and ÃÂlex de la Iglesia established the production powerhouse Pokeepsie Films. Created to nurture a new generation of bold, daring and innovative filmmakers, Pokeepsie films have produced an impressive slate of successful features, such as Paper HouseâÂÂs director Koldo SerraâÂÂs 70 Bin Ladens (âÂÂ70 Big OnesâÂÂ), Eduardo CasanovaâÂÂs multi-awarded Pieles (âÂÂSkinsâÂÂ) and La Pietà(released theatrically on January 13th, 2022), Esteban Roel and Juanfer Andrésâ Musarañas (âÂÂShrewâÂÂs nestâÂÂ), starred by the outstanding Macarena Gómez, Alex de la IglesiaâÂÂs El bar, Ignacio TatayâÂÂs The Chalk Line (nú2 non-English language film in Netflix for 2 weeks in October 2022), Jaume BalagueróâÂÂs Venus, and recently HBOâÂÂs massive hit 30 monedas (âÂÂ30 coinsâÂÂ), seasons 1 and 2.
In February 2021, ÃÂlex de la Iglesia announced the shooting of a new film under his direction, produced by Mediaset España, together with his production company. The film is called El cuarto pasajero (âÂÂFourâÂÂs a crowdâÂÂ) and stars Blanca Suárez, Ernesto Alterio, Alberto San Juan and Rubén Cortada. With âÂÂFourâÂÂs a crowdâ as international title, El cuarto pasajero was released in Spain in October 2022, with excellent box-office returns
The Fear Collection
In the recent years, Pokeepsie films expanded their activities with ambitious projects such as The Fear Collection, a partnership with Sony Pictures and Amazon Prime to produce a series of horror feature films co-produced by Pokeepsie Films. The movies will be directed by some notable Spanish filmmakers such as Jaume Balagueró, Paula Ortiz, and ÃÂlex de la Iglesia himself, among many others. The first film of The Fear Collection is Venicephrenia, directed by De la Iglesia. Venicephrenia had its world-premiere at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia and was released in Spring 2022. The second feature of this collection is Venus, directed by prestigious Catalan helmer Jaume Balagueró. Venus had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Ester Expósito, it was released theatrically on Dec. the 2nd. 2022
Television ÃÂlex de la Iglesia has directed sketches for TV shows such as El peor programa de la semana with El Gran Wyoming (TVE) and Inocente, Inocente (regional television), as well as the series Plutón B.R.B. Nero (2008) for La 2 (TVE). This one is a parody of science fiction series starring Antonio Gil, Carolina Bang and Carlos Areces, among others.
At the Venice International Film Festival of 2020, he presented his series 30 monedas (âÂÂ30 CoinsâÂÂ), which premiered on HBO Spain on November 29 of that same year. The series tells the ordeal of Father Vergara, an exorcist, boxer and ex-convict exiled in a parish of a remote village in Spain. In December 2021, HBO announced 30 monedas was the most viewed show in Spain.
ÃÂlex de la Iglesia was elected president of the Academy of Cinematograhic Arts of Spain on June 21, 2009, after presenting himself as candidate â together with IcÃÂar BollaÃÂn and Emilio A. Pina â to replace ÃÂngeles González-Sinde after her appointment as Minister of Culture. De la IglesiaâÂÂs main goals as the head of the national industry were to "bring back together at the Academy all the artists who left Spain or are far from the institution". With this, he was aiming at Pedro Almodóvar and his brother, AgustÃÂn Almodóvar, who left the organization in 2005 publicly disagreeing with the institutionâÂÂs voting system. And also José Luis Garci as well, who left the academy in 1999 due to another controversy related with the voting procedures. The filmmaker from Bilbao was also committed to the fight against piracy. In his own words, he wanted to "defend the people who make a living from making films".
On February 14, 2010, De la Iglesia gave his most celebrated speech as president of the Film Academy at the Goya Awards gala, recalling that it was necessary to create laws "that protect the coexistence of all sectors, and that also includes filmmaking". For this reason, the then president of the academy participated in the debate on the second final provision of the Sustainable Economy Law (known as the Sinde-Wert Law) after it was rejected in the Congress on December 21, 2010. This text raised the possibility of closing Internet pages that violate copyright laws after the intervention of an Intellectual Property Commission, instead of just a judge or a magistrate.
ÃÂlex de la Iglesia's films usually feature actors and actresses he completely trusts and with whom he has worked before. The most prominent is Santiago Segura, to whom he offered his first role in a feature film, but there have also been frequent appearances by Mario Casas and Carlos Areces, as they were the sorely missed Terele Pávez and ÃÂlex Angulo. Antonio de la Torre, Enrique Villén, Secun de la Rosa or Manuel Tallafé are also regulars in his films, often in very solid supporting roles. Jorge GuerricaechevarrÃÂa has been his co-screenwriter in practically all his works. Some of these actors have also appeared in films produced but not directed by ÃÂlex de la Iglesia and, in the case of Macarena Gómez, she has been commonly seen in films he produced, including GómezâÂÂs instant-cult prominent role in seasons 1 and 2 of HBOâÂÂs 30 monedas (âÂÂ30 CoinsâÂÂ).
In 1997 he published the novel Payasos en la lavadora (âÂÂClowns in the Washing MachineâÂÂ). In 2014 he published his second novel Recuérdame que te odie (âÂÂRemind me to hate youâÂÂ). In 2022 Norma editorial released Arte y ensayo, a compilation of essays on ÃÂlex de la IglesiaâÂÂs facet as a graphic artist.
<big>Goya Awards</big>
Silver Condor Awards
Medalla de plata de la Comunidad de Madrid (2016)
Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes (Gold Medal of Merits in the Fine Arts - 2020)