The Blue Star (film)

The Blue Star (La estrella azul) is a 2023 Spanish-Argentine drama film directed by Javier Macipe (in his directorial debut feature) inspired by the life of Aragonese musician Mauricio Aznar which stars Pepe Lorente.

Plot
Set in the 1990s, the plot follows the plight of Spanish rocker Mauricio, who leaves his band and wanders around Latin America seeking to rediscover his musical vocation. He becomes acquainted with folk genres such as the chacarera in Santiago del Estero, and teams up with old musician Carlos Carabajal.

Production
The project was born as a commission from Mauricio Aznar's mother to Javier Macipe 18 years before the theatrical release of the film. The film is a Spanish-Argentine co-production by MOD Producciones, El Pez Amarillo and Cimarrón, alongside La Charito Films and Prisma. Filming began in 2020 in Zaragoza. It was interrupted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed in Argentina in late 2022, shooting in locations such as Santiago del Estero.

Release
The film was selected for the 'New Directors' section of the 71st San Sebastián International Film Festival, premiering on 25 September 2023. Its festival run also included screenings at the Warsaw Film Festival, the Seville European Film Festival, the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, and the 39th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. It was released theatrically in Spain on 23 February 2024.

Reception
Philipp Engel of Cinemanía rated the film 4½ out of 5 stars deeming it to be "pure cinephile craftmanship, the emotion about a finely done work" in the verdict, while writing that the film has "a universal reach, infinitely broader than the band's fan club".

Alberto Olmos of El Confidencial rated the film 5 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be "a very beautiful film, of good people, of sacred sadness" and "the best cinema possible".

Paula Arantzazu Ruiz of Ara rated the film 4 out of 5 stars writing that "everything is diaphanous and poetic at the same time" in the film, while the biographical account "is imbued with a truly authentic emotion".

Accolades

 * rowspan = "3" | 2024 || 39th Santa Barbara International Film Festival || colspan = "2" | Nueva Vision Award for Spain / Latin America Cinema || Won ||
 * rowspan = "2" | 42nd Uruguay International Film Festival || colspan = "2" | Audience Award || Won || rowspan = "2" |
 * colspan = "2" | Young Jury Award || Won
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 * colspan = "2" | Young Jury Award || Won
 * }
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