Rafael Gómez Heredia premieres the documentary 'Los Jerraos' dedicated to the trajectory of his family, closely linked to filming in Almeria
[Rafael Gómez, one of the first Jerraos, with his grandson Rafael Gómez Heredia, director of the documentary that rescues his legacy in Western cinema.]
For decades, the Jerraos worked on more than 450 films shot in Almeria. Today, his forgotten history is revived in the documentary 'Los Jerraos', which premieres at the Almería Western Film Festival. A story that connects 75 years of cinema shot in the province with 600 years of history of the Roma people in Spain.
A premiere with history
Tabernas is once again filled with Western cinema for four days. Screenings, tributes, talks, workshops and other activities make up the 15th Almería Western Film Festival, an event that opens this Wednesday, October 8 with an opening gala in which the Tabernas de Cine award will be presented to the actress Charo López.
On this first day, a documentary that pays tribute to an Almeria family closely linked to the seventh art is also premiered: 'Los Jerraos', a short film written and directed by Rafael Gómez Heredia, can be seen at the Municipal Theater at 4:00 p.m. A film that is, above all, "the story of anonymity", says its author.
Who are the Jerraos?
"Los Jerraos is a family of gypsy origin based in the Barrio Alto who have worked in the province since the first film shot here, 'The Call of Africa'. Now it is 75 years since that title and also the 600th anniversary of the entry of the Roma people into the Iberian Peninsula," the filmmaker explains to LA VOZ.
The nickname 'Jerrao' comes from his great-uncle, Francisco Gómez. "He was with his horse, putting the shoes on it, and when a neighbor asked him what he was doing, he, a rough man, told him: Here, 'jerrando'. And that's how the Jerraos were born," he says.
A legacy of cinema
Both Francisco and his siblings Juan and Rafael, sons of Francisco Gómez Gómez and Soledad Gómez Amaya, were the precursors of the saga. They came to the industry by the hand of Agustín Medina, responsible for the horses during the first years of filming in Almeria.
He saw their talent and began recruiting them for various productions. “My grandfather Rafael was the youngest of the three brothers and the one who played the most roles due to his features and his skill as a horseman and stuntman,” says his grandson, the director of the documentary.
Since then, the Jerraos, “film gypsies,” have worked on more than 450 film and television productions as stuntmen, horsemen, prop makers, and transporters, among other departments.
The Documentary
The documentary, narrated by Alfredo Casas, is based on photographs from the family archive that show the Jerraos' work on many of the films shot in Almería. Their filmography includes titles such as “The Kiss of Judas,” “100 Rifles,” “Red Sun,” “Mark Antony and Cleopatra,” “How I Won the War,” “Christopher Columbus, Discoverer by Trade,” “Here Comes Condemor,” and “East of West,” among others.
A production that features valuable testimonies from Eduardo Pérez Medina (Agustín Medina's grandson and now a camera operator and crane operator in film and television), Paco Ardura (livestock coordinator and long-time member of Fort Bravo Texas Hollywood), Juan Muñoz (former member of Cruz y Raya), and Fernando Esteso, among others.
Rafael Gómez Heredia spent six years of his life making
this short film. Part of his research was also captured in the book Spaghetti
Western (Círculo Rojo, 2021). "If instead of being a Roma, he had been a
non-Roma, this story, silenced over time, would be better known. In addition to
talking about the Jerraos, I want to emphasize that Roma are part of this
society. Let it be known that there is a Roma like me making films and writing
books for both Roma and non-Roma people," he emphasizes.
No comments:
Post a Comment