Asier and I

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Asier and I tells the story of the friendship between Aitor and Asier Aranguren from their time growing up together in the conflict-affected and politicized eighties of the Basque Country. Eventually, Aitor moved to Madrid to pursue his dream of becoming an actor, and Asier joined the terrorist group ETA. Years later, Asier was arrested and interned in a French prison, where he was detained for eight years.

When Asier was released in 2010, Aitor wanted to recover his relationship with his childhood friend and try to understand what could have led to him to join ETA, so he went to his release in France with a camera in order to tell this story.

Beyond the story of Asier, Aitor, and the Basque conflict, the film raises universal questions: can we justify blood crimes on the name of an ideal? Can friendship transcend ideology and political extremism?

Narrated with humor and cinematographic devices such as direct address, Asier and I does an excellent job at keeping the spectator engaged throughout the film. The documentary remained in Spanish theaters for an impressive four months.

"In light of the increase in political terrorism in our world today this film is particularly relevant to several subject areas. Students, faculty, and citizens interested in how terrorism and violence may be internalized and become an accepted way of responding to the need for political change may find this film a beneficial part of their discussion. Moreover, the case of Asier and Aitor serve as valuable inspiration in helping to resolve identity in pro social ways. Highly Recommended." — Malcolm L. Rigsby, Department of Sociology, Human Services, & Criminal Justice, Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas, Anthropological Review Databse

"Has the courage to expose very difficult issues to whomever wants to learn of their merits and weaknesses." — Jordi Costa, El País

"And all this is part of a careful contextualization of the film, which not only depicts the lives of its main characters, but also manages to reproduce the asphyxiating climate of the different phases of Spain, a country recently touched by terrorism." — Jose Cabello, Cine Divergente

"Asier and I strikes the perfect tone in narrating both meaningful and painful things without transforming them into an existentialist trope...The film provokes, raises questions, and entertains at the same time." — Ivonne Guzmán, El Comercio

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Main credits

Merino, Amaia (film director)
Merino, Amaia (screenwriter)
Merino, Aitor (film director)
Merino, Aitor (screenwriter)
Merino, Aitor (on-screen participant)

Other credits

Cinematography, Aitor Francisco Merino; editor, Amaia Merino; music, Alex Alvear, Alicia Alemán.

MARC Record See Worldcat record

Keywords

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