The original exhibition 'The thousand faces of Paul Naschy', developed within the framework of the fifth edition of the Canary Islands Fantastic Film Festival Isla Calavera, can be seen until January 8 at the former Convent of Santo Domingo in La Laguna. The historic space, listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest, will offer this Christmas the photographic exhibition and film posters dedicated to Jacinto Molina Alvarez Molina (1934-2009), myth of Spanish Fantaterror, artistically known as Paul Naschy.
The exhibition is open from Monday to Friday from 11 am to 2 pm and from 5 pm to 8 pm. On Saturdays it is also available in the morning. The visit is free of charge. This activity has the collaboration of the Department of Culture of the City of La Laguna.
Paul Naschy participated as an actor in more than one hundred films, in forty as a screenwriter and signed fourteen as a director, with titles as outstanding as 'El huerto del francés' (1978), 'El aullido del diablo' (1988). The legendary filmmaker, champion of weightlifting in Spain in 1958, became the werewolf of fantasy-horror and gave life to other characters such as Count Dracula, the Mummy or the Hunchback.
The exhibition is endorsed by Naschy's family through his son Sergio Molina and covers his filmography through original posters of emblematic films such as 'La furia del hombre lobo' (1972), 'Exorcismo' (1975) or 'El retorno del hombre lobo' (1981) and a selection of photographs, many unpublished, that illustrate his role in the horror genre of Spanish production. The collection of snapshots, on loan from the artist's personal archive, includes stills and images captured during the shooting of feature films such as 'The Mark of the Werewolf' (1968), 'Doctor Jekyll and the Wolf Man' (1972), 'The Hunchback of the Morgue' (1973) or 'The Return of Walpurgis' (1973).
The Thousand Faces of Paul Naschy' is not only a tribute of the Skull Island Festival to this icon of Spanish fantastic cinema, but also a vindication of his figure so that his importance in the genre is known by new generations of fans.
About the Festival de Cine Fantástico de Canarias Isla Calavera (Skull Island Fantastic Film Festival of the Canary Islands)
The Festival de Cine Fantástico de Canarias Isla Calavera celebrates its annual edition every year in November, with official competition sections of feature and short films, a showcase of newly created fiction and documentary works and the recovery of classics of the fantastic genre. It also includes parallel activities that include professional meetings aimed at the audiovisual industry and educational activities, including exhibitions, round tables and presentations.
The Isla Calavera Festival is organized by the Charlas de Cine Cultural Association, the Isla Calavera Cultural Association, Multicines Tenerife and the specialized publication TumbaAbierta.com, and in its fifth edition, held in November 2021, was sponsored by the Cabildo of Tenerife, the Canary Islands Institute for Cultural Development, Canary Islands Film, Development Society of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, the Culture Department of the La Laguna City Council, Tenerife Film Commission, the ZEC Consortium and the Ministry of Culture and Sport; and the collaboration of numerous private entities.
