Today, this picturesque life is narrated in the first person in the posthumous documentary 'El Brujo: Julio Zachrisson', directed by Félix 'Trillo' Guardia and produced by Tomás Cortés. The film aims to pay posthumous tribute to the artist while 'feeding the Panamanian identity' after its release in theaters on October 30. 'It was very hard.'
Inspired by the engravings of Francisco Goya, Zachrisson enriched his work with a rich personal universe where reality blends with mythology or dreams, further fueled by a broad sense of humor that the documentary captures by mixing the Spanish language with the Panamanian idiosyncrasy that he never lost. 'I am sure they would feel extremely proud and interested to know that there is a Panamanian who made history in the world of art and graphic work,' says Guardia.
The life and work of the painter Julio Zachrisson (Panama City, 1930 - Madrid, 2021) was similar to that of a 'warlock', oniric with inspirations from the darkest Goya while he mingled with the great Latin American artists of the 20th century and took refuge in the most bohemian Madrid of the last throes of Francoism. The documentary shows a journey through the painter's life from his beginnings in Panama, to his later studies in Mexico and Italy, his settling behind the Plaza de Toros in Madrid, and his death in 2021, while interspersed with images of the artist are his dark drawings, many of them hand-engraved until his last days.
'I think yes, within the art world, but it is our responsibility, as Panamanians and filmmakers who seek to feed the Panamanian identity, to create ties so that people can find a connection with that identity,' director 'Trillo' Guardia tells EFE. In a conversation with EFE, both the director and the producer reflect on Zachrisson's striking life, the close relationship they forged with him during filming, his art behind the engraving technique, and the lack of recognition in his native Panama. 'It is a very big responsibility and to let him die on some hard drives is unfair,' he stated.
'Never before had a friend of mine died (...) I was on the set of a French film and I cried for a week.' All this unfolds as one appreciates how the friendship between the film crew and the artist is forged, becoming participants in intimate moments such as Zachrisson's birthday—he lost his sight in the last years of his life—or his reprimands if they moved any of his prized ceramics. 'There are many Panamanians today, outside the art world, who have no idea. (...) I feel his work is done when it is available to everyone, 'be it through the documentary, animation, the internet or a museum.' 'It was the first time a friend of mine had died. I think the anguish was produced by not having kept the promises we had made before his death,' Cortés tells EFE. 'Saying goodbye to Julio was hard.'
'Unfortunately, no (he has the recognition in Panama) at the level he deserves.' Zachrisson depicted part of Panamanian history and mythology in his drawings, such as the engraving about the U.S. invasion in 1989 to capture General Manuel Antonio Noriega, one of the darkest chapters in the country that left some 500 dead, mostly Panamanians, according to Washington figures.
According to the director, in recent years there has been a 'thirst' in the country - in line with a global trend - to 'return' to the roots, especially among the youth: 'We do not have the same historical trajectory as other great countries, but, as the film says, beyond the fact that we are a small country, we also have something to tell.'
The team started the project with the goal of creating an animated film based on Zachrisson's drawings, an idea for which they are still seeking funding, but given the amount of material obtained during interviews with the painter, this documentary was born, the first part of a broader 'legacy.' The producer feels in his hands a 'legacy' from Zachrisson with which he aspires to make it 'accessible and enduring' over time.
