Gorka Merchan names his first feature film after the well known poem by Gabriel Aresti. La Casa de mi Padre comes from the deeply felt poem and an “ethical commitment to face up, according to the director, the Basque conflict and ETA’s terrorism because he believes that “hatred and violence lead nowhere”.

“There is too much hatred on this land. Some have turned into what they hated most, into the same thing they started fighting against”, the director says. He is convinced the history he portrays will not be liked by “neither of both extremes”. “Noboby owns suffering. The Basque society is both victim and to be blame for, at times for failing to act. Killing stops any grounds to legitimize any position”. Like Gabriel Aresti’s poem his films talks about wolves, usury and weapons.

EL PERIODICO
Cristina Savall


Plot is efficient (…) pic is good on the edgy reality of living in this politically uptight region.
Gomez and Echegui eke some interest out of their stereotypes.

VARIETY
Jonathan Holland


La Casa de mi Padre handles a variety of themes, too many at times, and it would not want to upset anybody.
Obviously this is an impossible mission. It condemns, of course, ETA’s killing and violence. (…)
It wants to give a voice to everybody.

An easy film to watch.

DECINE21


Merchán presented his first film as a complete denouncement of violence” and called upon politicians to think ‘more about the people and their communities.

El DIARIO VASCO
EFE


The film uses some clichés but also provides an explicit message that in order to be valid requires the highest possible realism.

Merchán provides a polarized vision of the Basque society. (…) He tries to show different points of view.

PRECRITICAS
Sherlock


The most courageous film when it comes to portraying terrorism at the 2008 San Sebastián Film Festival.

Merchan dismantles many of the classical arguments of the Basque left wing, by just presenting them. He does it with subtlety and without too much dogmatism when he shows the possibility of living in peace.

PEQUEÑOS OBJETIVOS
Elchicoquequeriaserbreteastonellis


With this feature film Merchán trieas to explain that coexistence is essential and should be carried out in a peaceful way.

BARTON FILMS



The reality of the Basque Country portrayed in a most humane way. That was Gorka Merchan’s aim when he took over the direction of La Casa de mi Padre.

DIARIO SUR



Every voice in the Basque conflict has its space in La Casa de mi Padre, a first work by the director from San Sebastián, Gorka Merchán. In one and a half hours he has concentrated most of what has been happening in the streets of the Basque Country and in the heart of the Basque people for many decades.

HOY CINEMA



The first work by Merchán tells a story that leave nobody indifferent because: openly and with a lot of courage it portrays the Basque Country political predicament (…) it shows the human, cultural and sporting values that make the Basque people one of the most noble of our country, (…) and achieves that all the actors, Emma Suárez, Carmelo Gómez, Juan José Ballesta, Alex Angulo and Irene Bau…move us with their magic, performance and savoir-faire.

Gorka Merchán shows us that it is possible to make good films when there is talent, determination, sacrifice and art. No doubt this is the type of film required to transmit values like loyalty, courage, love, struggle, determination, sacrifice, solidarity, mercy…………..

SER PERIODISTA
Juan Manuel Menéndez