ONLY THE BRAVE (ROMANCE DE VALENCIA) European Cinema

Dutch documentary maker Sonia Herman Daiz looks at those who practice an art form still decried by much of Europe as a cruel and bloodthirsty spectacle-the bull fight. Shot on location in Spain, the film follows the 20-year-old bullfighter, Enrique Ponce, during the season that will be the turning point of his career, transforming him into a legendary figure in his own lifetime. Interwoven in Ponce’s saga is the story of an 8-yearold aspiring Torero, Juan, whose ambition and child-like adulation for his bull-fighting idols provide a potent testament to the lasting mythology of the sport. Their stories, told from the female director’s viewpoint, provide a fresh and unique look at the traditions, customs, and religious symbolism of the ancient, patriarchal cult of the bull.