Basque cinema is punching above its weight at San Sebastián, with 75% of Spanish competition titles fully or partially Basque, underscoring how regional industries, once seen as peripheral, are increasingly shaping Spain’s national film landscape. Two flagships — José Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregi’s “ Maspalomas ” and Asier Altuna’s “ Karmele ” — exemplify the strategies of their producers, Xabi Berzosa and Marian Fernández Pascal , as Basque production powers up.

A 100% Basque production, “Maspalomas” dramatizes a late-life coming out, then retreat, set between Gran Canaria’s gay scene and a San Sebastián nursing home. “I went to Maspalomas for the first time in 2016, and I thought this was a reality rarely seen in cinema,” Goenaga told Variety . “We’ve seen films about people

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