A difficult film export
It is difficult to talk about the 7th art of Andorra, as it is so much like its country. Indeed, this principality in southern Europe has an area of less than 500 km². It is therefore difficult to compete with the rest of the world in terms of the film industry. There are very few works made on the lands of this small sovereign state, even fewer that manage to cross its borders. However, there are films such as Don't take the name of god in vain(No pronunciaràs el nomere de Dios en vano), directed by Josep Guirao and inspired by the novel The Branch (1984) by Mike Resnick. This futuristic short film of about 30 minutes was previewed at the Brooklyn Film Festival and the Miami International Film Festival. In 2005, Manuel Huerga directed Salvador in Andorra, a Catalan film about the Spanish anarchist Salvador Puig i Antich under the Franco regime. The film was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006 and was selected to represent Spain at the Oscars the same year. Other made-in-Andorra works include Amor Idiota (by Ventura Pons, 2004), an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Catalan writer Lluis-Anton Baulenas, and the thriller Nick (2016) by José Pozo. A few international directors have also ventured to Andorra for the purposes of their films. In 2011, the Londoner Roland Joffé released Au prix du sang, a drama set during the Spanish Civil War. The same year, Raphaël Jacoulot directed Before Dawn (with Jean-Pierre Bacri), set in the town of Andorra la Vella, particularly in the parish of Escaldes-Engordany.
Institutions
In Andorra there are several institutions that help to promote the Catalan 7th art. The Cineclub de les Valls, for example, together with the Illa Carlemany cinema, is the only place where Catalan films are shown. Created in 1997, this non-profit cultural association shows many works in their original version in the municipal theatre of Andorra la Vella. In order to support its film industry, Andorra created the Ull Nu audiovisual festival in 2013, an annual event held in the principality. This festival aims to disseminate and promote the productions of young filmmakers. During this event, participants can attend conferences and master classes and meet film professionals. In 2017, the Government of Andorra signed an agreement with the Illa Carlemany cinema to promote Catalan cinema among its inhabitants. Thus, every year, at least ten works in the Catalan language are previewed in the Escaldes-Engordany cinema.
