Benito Zambrano
Benito Zambrano (born 1965) is a Spanish writer-director whose intimate, humanist dramas often centre on women, family, and political memory. Born in Lebrija (Seville), he studied dramatic arts in Seville and worked in television before winning a scholarship to study at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba. After several difficult years he made his feature debut with Solas (1999), a quiet study of an Andalusian mother and her grown daughter that became a popular hit at home and swept the Goya Awards, including Best Original Screenplay and Best New Director. His follow-ups Habana Blues (2005), a portrait of two struggling Cuban musicians that screened in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, and the Civil War-set The Sleeping Voice (2011), confirmed his commitment to socially engaged storytelling.