Filmax, the Spanish film production company and distributor, has acquired international sales rights to Time of Silence and Destruction, "a bio-doc feature about Luis Martín-Santos who, along with great friend Juan Benet, revolutionized the Spanish novel, as James Joyce and William Faulkner had achieved decades before outside Spain," Variety reported.
Led by Martín-Santos' daughter Rocío and son Luis, Time of Silence and Destruction "sees them open boxes of Martín-Santos' unpublished papers as they talk to the few surviving friends and colleagues, situating Martín-Santos in his context," Variety added.
Directed by Joan López Lloret (Hermanos Oligor) and produced by Marta Esteban's Imposible Films in co-production with public broadcaster RTVE, the film had its world premier September 21 at the San Sebastián Festival.
"Time of Silence and Destruction is the story of the great post-war writer, Luis Martín-Santos," Esteban said. "The film aims to expose new generations to his literary work, while offering previously unseen writings to those who thought they already knew him. Martín-Santos is an endless source of ideas which still shake up consciences and provoke with their intelligence today."
Ivan Díaz, Filmax head of international, commented: "It's funny how life turns out sometimes. Martín-Santos just so happens to be a writer I'm very fond of because he wrote a book that my late grandfather used to force me to read.... So I am obviously thrilled to now be selling a documentary about him. As a writer, Martín-Santos has become a legendary figure in the world of Spanish literature and it really is such a shame that we weren't able to enjoy his talent for longer."