Over the years, Basque literature and cinema have intertwined to bring us unforgettable works. Although the exact origin of the collaboration between the two disciplines is unclear, many trace it back to the 1980s.

Within the context of live performance in the Basque Country, tradition constitutes an inestimable source of inspiration for contemporary creators. It is where many of us draw our inspiration in developing new texts. We develop contemporary Basque artistic creation on the basis of traditional culture. And this is an approach repeated in every artistic sphere. It seemingly reflects our desire to proclaim the singularity and vitality of Basque culture, and also to preserve it.

To understand how collective action and a shared value system have transformed Basque society, we dive into two key areas of the cooperative phenomenon in the Basque Country: the Mondragon group and the ikastola movement.

The Basque Country offers a rich variety of gastronomic experiences, from gastronomic societies and pintxo bars to cider houses, local festivals, Michelin-starred restaurants, and traditional eateries. This region is a paradise for food lovers, where each place provides a unique perspective on Basque culinary culture.

Thanks to the Etxepare Basque Institute´s Euskara Munduan programme, dozens of Basque teachers from all over the world have been trained.

From historic pop and rock figures to a brilliant generation of young musicians breaking new ground: more and more bands and solo performers in the Basque Country are selling out large venues. 

You can’t come to Basque Country without going for pintxos

The Basque conflict has left a significant mark on the world of cinema, inspiring numerous fictional works and documentaries. It´s a complex, contentious issue that evokes strong reactions from all sides.

Basque cinema has many of its own characteristics, but there has been a trend in recent years. In the Basque Country, films committed to social debate are gaining greater prominence.

If you haven’t heard of the Basque cheesecake, chances are you will soon. What makes Basque cheesecake so special?

Izaro, Olaia Inziarte and Verde Prato are charting the path for a fresh wave of Basque pop, embracing new trends while staying true to their commitment to quality and depth in their music.

Born in the same year, both are essential figures in Basque culture, each charting a distinct path. Under the long shadow of Jorge Oteiza, we freely reconstruct the story of these two figures.

A hot stew whose ingredients are at their peak in the heat of summer? It may seem counterintuitive, but the Basque dish marmitako is just that.

Basque mythology is being brought to life on screen through several essential titles: ´Errementari´, ´Akelarre´ or ´Irati´.

In recent years, enriched by deeper and more mature narratives, Basque animation has earned widespread international acclaim, marking a period of notable expansion.

New creative talent – driving force behind art, music, literature, theatre and cinema

Many filmmakers believe that setting the stories of the LGTBI+ community in these environments adds value. After all, the source of the oppression that so many of these people have endured for years stems from their origins in small villages.

The flag of this French overseas territory off the south coast of Newfoundland pays homage to the Basques, Bretons and Normans who arrived at least as far back as least the sixteenth century.

The revival of rural carnival celebrations in the Basque Country allows for the enjoyment of increasingly popular ancient winter rituals connected to nature.

In ´Vuelta al país de Elkano´ (2022), author and journalist Ander Izagirre challenges the perception of Basques as a people confined to the farmhouse.

On one wall of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao hang 40 small paintings. Facing us, we see a landscape or a sparrow, a gaze, a feather, and a mirror reflecting the visitor in 19th and 20th century circular and oval gilded frames. The author of this time-defying mosaic is Alain Urrutia.

Many universes coexist in Uxue Alberdi (Elgoibar, 1984). Both bertsolari and writer, Alberdi pushes boundaries in her artistic production by leaving room for open-ended inquiries and contemplation.

The positive response to the most recent bersolarismo final, which filled the Navarra Arena with 13,500 spectators, prompts us to analyse the rise of this cultural manifestation.

The death of the last resident of a boarding house established by Basque immigrants marks the end of a chapter whose roots go back to the mid-nineteenth century.

New York is an impossible puzzle made up of pieces of the world. Immigrants erected the skyscrapers that caress the clouds, and built the imagery that symbolises the city. The history of New York has been written by immigrants and since 2018 Kirmen Uribe (Ondarroa, 1970), one of the most relevant Basque writers of his generation, has also become part of this mosaic of identities, languages and cultures.

Things often happen by pure serendipity, like being born in Poughkeepsie, or working in the editorial office of The New Yorker back in the days when people still read paper magazines. Or like going to Madrid to learn Spanish and falling in love with the Basque language. Which is exactly what happened to Elizabeth Macklin.

The closure of the Jai Alai fronton in Dania Beach, Florida, marks the final chapter in professional cesta punta in the United States, once one of the country´s largest gambling events.

This is the beginning of an amazing history, the history of the Basque people through small stories of production, industry, culture and intangible heritage.

At the turn of the new century, a woman in a black skirt stood in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, facing the camera. She opened her legs and began to urinate, standing there out in the open.

"Languages are like coats: if you only have one, it’s the only one you can wear, rain or shine. But if you have two, or three, or even more, you can decide which one to put on every day...".

Welcome! Come on in! Come into the theatre and sit down. Choose your seat, your space, your window.

Mikel Laboa is not just any musician; he is a legend. He is still very much alive at public and private events, family meals, schools, among friends, in towns and cities.

For Basques, food is a religion, a blind faith, a celebration, a matter of utmost importance.

The list that follows brings together the soul of Basque literature, a combination of prominent names as well as authors just coming out of their shells. Together they make up a sort of dream team of Basque letters.

Today’s Basque cinema could be compared to a brilliant spring flower: its sturdy, upright stem leads to a series of colourful petals that sparkle in the sun, and suddenly the everything around it becomes incredibly beautiful.