El Cid and his loyal horse Babieca plan to conquer the hearts and minds of the Spanish feature animation world this Christmas. © Castelao Productions S.A — All rights reserved.

All cultures, all peoples, create their own myths and legends, which in the end, make the history of a country. El Cid, hero from the Reconquest of Spain in the Middle Ages, is one of the most legendary characters in Spanish history. His heroic deeds have gone beyond borders; they have filled thousands of pages in hundreds of books. They have also been shown in some animated series and several films (the most famous was the one starring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren in 1961,which was directed by Anthony Mann and produced by Samuel Broston).

The legend says that the Castilian nobleman Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, whom the Arabian people themselves nicknamed El Cid, because of his great fighting spirit, was even able to win a battle after his death. His loyal men tied him to the saddle of his inseparable horse Babieca, and put him at the head of the army. Such was the fear El Cid roused in his Muslim enemies that when they saw him, they ran away terrified. Reality or legend? We will never know for sure. But this may not be the last battle won by El Cid. On Dec. 19, 2003, in the heart of the Christmas campaign, the most ambitious Spanish animated theatrical film ever produced will be released in Spain: El Cid, The Legend. The competition for good box office is harder at this time of the year, but it is the time more people go to the theaters.

Writer/director José Pozo, producer and Filmax president Julio Fernández and Paco Rodríguez, co-exec producer (left to right) are aiming to reach a large Spanish audience with 250 prints opening week.

The people behind the movie are well aware of this, but they seem to have adopted their character’s courage. So sure are they of the success of El Cid, The Legend that they have not spared any effort to release it during this Christmas. In fact the feature, directed by José Pozo, will be released in Spain with more than 250 copies and, according to Paco Rodríguez, the co-exec producer of the film, there probably will be 300 copies shown in the first weeks, a prohibitive amount for most Spanish fiction movies. The director himself recognizes this is the main objective for this film, which is 100% produced by Filmax Ent., as it challenges the hegemony of North American animation in the Spanish screens.