Lucio

NEW DOCS

This film makes me hear the Clash singing, “daddy was a bankrobber, but he was a good man.” Serious and playful, fast paced and brilliant, this documentary on the work and life of mason, anarchist, and master counterfeiter Lucio Urtubia is a cinematic jewel. Rarely do films treat anarchism as a significant philosophical and political movement, and when they do, they almost always fall into the traps of polemics or propaganda. Lucio is the beguiling exception. The adventures of a truly audacious anarchist make for a fascinating plot, with David facing a diverse cast of Goliaths. After faking millions of dollars’ worth of their checks, Lucio forces Citibank to the negotiation table and wins. Later he devises an elaborate scheme to bring governments to their knees by attacking their financial systems, but when Che Guevara fails to see its potential, the disillusioned anarchist mason cuts all ties with the rebel leader. In the absence of monuments to the world’s most significant and inspiring anarchists, Lucio is a celluloid statue of great beauty and proportions.  PL

Directors

Aitor Arregi, Jose Mari Goenaga

Producer

Xabier Berzosa

Release Year

2007

Festival Year

2008

Country

Spain

Run Time

93 minutes