Even greater than The Spirit of the Beehive, Víctor Erice’s second feature is a masterpiece ripe for rediscovery. Recalling her youth in northern Spain in the 1950s and her relationship with her beloved father, Estrella realises how little she knew about him. Raised in the south, he’d had his secrets… Delicate, nuanced, mysterious, Erice’s film reveals his abiding fascination with memory and missed opportunities, longing and loss, the passing of time and the links between private dreams and political realities. The performances – like the meticulously lit compositions and the evocative soundtrack – are superb throughout; Omero Antonutti is especially charismatic as Agustín, while Sonsoles Aranguren and Icíar Bollaín shine, respectively, as the young and teenaged Estella. Exquisitely beautiful, profoundly moving.

Reissued by the BFI as part of their Pedro Almodóvar season

"Can it be that an unfinished film is one of the best in Spanish cinema history? Yes it can, and that film is El sur. The second work by Víctor Erice tells of a girl growing up into adolescence and her fascination with her father. Relationships between parents and their children are always mysterious. The father is a kind, reserved and hermetic man who hides a secret. The discovery of this mythical father’s past and the tenderness and simplicity of Erice’s mise-en-scène turn the film into an instant classic. Owing to production problems the film, originally scripted at two and a half hours, eventually came in at 96 minutes. 96 minutes of emotions so intense that you’re left breathless. I cry every time I watch it." (Pedro Almodóvar)

"Perfection" ★★★★★ Little White Lies

★★★★ The Guardian

★★★★ The Times