MIPTV 2012 Animation Spotlight

Historically, the bard/minstrel was a poet or musician whose lyrical narratives lent a physical presence to the memories and experiences of a village or community. Gartxot: Konkista Aitzineko Konkista (eng. title: Gartxot: A Minstrel's Story) is the tale of one such minstrel; however, the animated feature eschews the commonly romanticized image of a traveling lyricist in favor of an intriguing medieval drama that focuses on cultural persecution and the struggle against oppression. Somuga (Andoain, Spain) is the production studio behind Gartxot.

Somuga is a small studio located in the heart of Basque Country, a small region of north-central Spain and southwest France. The studio is rather productive and is currently riding high with the completion of Gartxot, it's third film.

Production on Gartxot concluded last year and in time for a November 2011 theatrical premiere, regaling moviegoers with the gritty but honest tale of a man doing his utmost to protect his family, his culture, and the memory of both.

In the film, Gartxot is a minstrel from the Pyrenees who was sent into exile. A master of his craft, Gartxot has a tremendous gift for preserving the integrity of the townsfolk -- and in more languages than one, as well.

But as the story continues, the political climate manifests a new authority, and the Abbot of Roncevallis demands a minstrel of his own. Gartxot refuses.

The abbot, undeterred, decides to kidnap the minstrel's son, Mikelot, and convert the boy into a singing monk. But Mikelot escapes, desperate to reunite with his family and village, forcing the abbot to deploy a search party and request that both Gartxot and the boy be captured. Alive? "Just catch him. I don't care how."

Gartxot: Konkista Aitzineko Konkista, directed by Juanjo Elordi and Asisko Urmeneta, is the frantic pursuit of Garxtot and Mikelot by the abbot and his underlings. Sometimes the townspeople help the bard and his son, sympathizing with their disdain for censorship and social unrest, but other times they lean toward siding with the cruel abbot, who may choose to starve citizens for harboring a wanted man. Garxtot's songs come to represent the economic and political struggles of the people, and the man's final confrontation with soldiered authorities almost necessarily ends in tragedy.

Gartxot is a ninety-minute film whose unique 2D character designs and impressive background art comprise a smart appropriation of regional culture.

The film was written by Edorta Barruetabena and Elordi, who is Somuga's Chief Executive Officer, with a musical score provided by Benito Lertxundi. Naturally, music plays an important role in Gartxot, focusing on the pastoral experience and the emotional connections of people to their home.

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Gartxot Feature Animation
Somuga Productora
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