Inauguración

Date: 21/11/2024
Time: 17:00h.
Punto de encuentro: Recinto Ferial de Arrecife

Since its inception in 2011, Muestra de Cine de Lanzarote has always been clear that one of its primary goals is to conscientiously integrate the entire island of Lanzarote into the diverse activities and initiatives it undertakes. Since then—and especially from 2018 onwards—the festival has sought to be authentically and profoundly insular, embracing the notion that the island’s unique geology, human history and the broader context of the Chinijo Archipelago should take centre stage in each edition.

In keeping with this vision, the opening event each year is set in a location intrinsically connected to the festival’s central theme. In 2018, when the theme was Volcanoes, the festival opened in the Cueva de los Verdes; in 2019, when Salt was the focus, the spotlight turned to the Salinas de Janubio. For the 2021 edition, centred on Wind, the opening took place in a volcanic sand flat near Soo. In 2022, with Fishing as the theme, Puerto de Naos was the chosen setting; and in 2023, the Muelle Grande and Castillo de Santa Bárbara were chosen to honour the theme of Migration, spaces marked by the traces of that human journey.

For the opening of the 14th Muestra de Cine de Lanzarote, devoted entirely to the theme of Islands, the chosen site is one that captures the essence of insularity in the most vivid and profound way. What better setting to observe, define and reflect on the notion of an island than that magnificent dream imagined by César Manrique—the Mirador del Río? From this vantage point, a small island gazes out at even smaller islets, the Chinijo Archipelago, perhaps with affection and tenderness, learning something about its own identity and inherent fragility.

The Mirador del Río serves as a mirror, where Lanzarote, in looking toward other islands, sees itself. Designed by César Manrique, this site elevates the concepts of islands and archipelagos to their fullest capacity for wonder and admiration. It is a space where the festival’s thematic focus on Islands finds its most natural and awe-inspiring expression.