Spanish Filmmaker Alauda Ruiz de Azúa Breaks Barriers at Goya Awards
Madrid – Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s film Los Domingos (“Sundays”) swept the Goya Awards, Spain’s national film prizes, taking home five awards including Best Film and Best Director. The win marks a significant moment for female representation in Spanish cinema, a field historically dominated by men.
Ruiz de Azúa highlighted the disparity during her acceptance speech for Best Director, noting that in the 40-year history of the Goyas, only three other women had received the award in that category. “For that reason, I would like to thank the recognition to all the people who have understood that talent does not understand gender, but that opportunities historically have understood gender,” she said.
The director previously won the Goya for Best New Director in 2022 for Cinco Lobitos (“Five Wolf Cubs”).
The broader history of female directors recognized by major film awards reveals a similar pattern. Since the Academy Awards began in 1929, over 400 directors have been nominated for Best Director, yet only nine women have been nominated. Of those, only three have won: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, 2010), Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, 2021), and Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog, 2022).
In Spain, Ruiz de Azúa joins Pilar Miró, Icíar Bollaín, and Isabel Coixet as the only women to have been awarded the Goya for Best Director. Miró won in 1996 for El perro del hortelano (“The Gardener’s Dog”), a film based on a comedy by Lope de Vega. Bollaín received the award in 2004 for Te doy mis ojos (“I Give You My Eyes”), a film addressing domestic violence. Coixet has won twice, first in 2006 for La vida secreta de las palabras (“The Secret Life of Words”) and again for La librería (“The Bookstore”).
The success of Los Domingos and Ruiz de Azúa’s recognition are being seen as a step forward for gender equality within the Spanish film industry, sparking conversations about the need for continued efforts to create more equitable opportunities for female filmmakers.
