Jorge Grau

Jorge Grau Solà (Barcelona, 1930 – Madrid, 2018), also known as Jordi Grau, was a Spanish film director whose career unfolded mainly during the 1960s and 1970s. Before directing, he worked as a scriptwriter, actor and assistant director, and his work ranged across documentary, socially engaged cinema, experimental film and fantasy. He is best known for his contribution to genre cinema, though his output was broader than that.

Grau began as an assistant director on films such as Diez fusiles esperan (1959) and Un hombre en la red (1957). His first feature was Noche de verano (1963), whose script he was preparing when he became involved in a documentary shoot about tuna fishing in Barbate. Films such as El espontáneo (1964), Una historia de amor (1967) and La trastienda (1975), the last a critique of Opus Dei, carried moral messages that caused controversy at the time.

His forays into fantasy cinema, Ceremonia sangrienta (1972) and No profanar el sueño de los muertos (1974), earned him a prominent place in Spanish film. A commitment to realism runs through all his work. He was the father of filmmaker Carlos Grau.