Zumiriki

Zumiriki (Basque for 'island in the middle of a stream') takes us back to the blissful freedom of playing in nature, losing all track of time. Inspired by his father's home movies, a man goes back to the most adventurous spot from his childhood days, a small island. This location has meanwhile disappeared underwater, due to the construction of a dam. It doesn't prevent this determined latter-day Robinson Crusoe from installing himself in a primitive hut, with passing animals as his sole companions.

Zumiriki not only offers an endearing autobiographical reverie, but also a performative reflection on the passing of time and its conceptual conservation through photography and film. The tree hut becomes a metaphorical camera where the filmmaker (and former director of a film festival) spends his days in total freedom. Appropriately, the inventive Alegria was responsible for the script, direction, photography and editing.