Berlanga, Luis García

Born July 12, 1921, in Valencia. Spanish cinema director and scriptwriter.

Berlanga studied in the department of literature and philosophy in the University of Valencia and in the Cinematic Institute in Madrid (1947). In 1948 he began to work as a director. He produced the satirical films Welcome, Mr. Marshall (1952), Calabuch (1956), Plácido (1960), and The Executioner (1963). These films are outstanding for their political acuity, for their tendency toward social criticism and satire, and sometimes for their tragic humor. Berlanga wrote the scripts of many films which he produced, some of them in collaboration with the director J. A. Bardem. Several of his films received prizes at international film festivals. He is an instructor at the Higher Institute of Cinema and Television in Madrid.