Paco de Lucía: A Journey

A lively chronicle of the career of the brilliant Andalusian guitarist Paco de Lucía, who died suddenly in February of this year at the age of 66. He conquered the world by pushing the boundaries of traditional flamenco. This film covers 60 years of musical exploration, and personal development – all the way from the first time the penniless young Paco picked up a guitar in his birth city of Algeciras to the creation of his final album . The backbone of the film is formed by several interviews with Paco recorded from 2010 to 2014, in which he talks about his lifelong journey of musical discovery and his deep bond with flamenco. Sometimes we see his expressive face, and other times we hear his voice over a treasure trove of archive footage of many early performances, and of legendary exponents of flamenco José Greco, Sabicas, Niño Ricardo and Bambino Camarón. There are also street scenes in the cities he visits and old photos brought to life using a special depth effect. Fellow musicians praise his perfectionism and creativity, one remarking that “He goes from a run like a machine gun to a delicate thrill without losing the beat: that’s what I call controlling your emotions.”