Hailed as the “King of Rumba” for his fusion of flamenco song with Latin American rhythms, Pere Pubill Calaf’s career spanned six decades from the mid 1950s through to his death in 2014. The vibrancy and vivacity of his music coupled with his charisma made the international star universally known as Peret, a tour de force of entertainment.
This documentary captures the magic of Peret by combining archival materials of the man and his music with intimate conversations with his grandchildren and close friends, and touching dramatisations. From his beginnings in the rough gypsy outskirts of Barcelona, the film charts the musical and personal trajectory that saw Peret find international stardom and perform in Eurovision, before a long retreat from fame and resounding return at the 1992 Olympics. But his success was not without controversy, and his complex character is revealed to have also suffered a bitterness borne of the tension between the contrasting worlds of his old and new lives. Both an intimate portrait and celebratory tribute, this is unmissable for film and music lovers.
Wednesday 27th March
92 min
CTC
Film Festival
