Carmen

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Director Carlos Sauras Carmen develops a fictional story revolving around the rehearsals of Georges Bizets opera about the brash and colorful cigarette factory woman and her dalliance with the soldier Don José, and eventual love for Escamillo, the bullfighter. Saura introduces exciting flamenco dance scenes and a love story between Antonio (Antonio Gades), the choreographer of the opera, and the actress playing Carmen, Laura del Sol. Joan Sutherland and Paco de Lucía also perform segments from Bizets 1875 opera. The mix of magical choreography, rousing flamenco dances, and operatic insertions as well as the tongue-in-cheek parodies of the French opera and foreign stereotypes of Spaniards keeps most viewers well entertained throughout. Sauras Carmen won an award for "Artistic Contribution" and for "Technical Achievement" at the Cannes Film Festival in 1983 and award for "Technical Achievement" at the 1983 Venice Film Festival.