19/08/2025 - The documentary seeks to unravel the secrets behind the cult film Rapture and the intriguing disappearance of its creator, Iván Zulueta

Forty-five years after its release, Rapture is still much more than a film: it is one of the greatest enigmas in the entire history of Spanish cinema. The director, Iván Zulueta, who over time has come to be a cursed figure, found his life disturbingly intertwined with the plot of his masterpiece. Now, the film The Last Rapture seeks to unravel the secrets of this iconic film and the Zulueta's intriguing disappearance, unsuspecting of the dangers of delving into this world. This work, directed by Marta Medina and Enrique López Lavigne, will be presented at the San Sebastián Film Festival, in the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera competition section (see more), taking part in the same competition as Rapture.

This “mutant” documentary, according to its makers, explores the depths of several unknowns. Why did Zulueta disappear just as his career was reaching its peak? What did he do during the last two decades of his life? What is it about Rapture that has elevated it to cult-film status? What is it about that disturbing red frame that seems to engulf anyone who dares to scrutinise the film?

The original film tells the story of Pedro (played by the late Will More), an amateur director who suddenly disappears, leaving only a reel of film behind. The reel falls into the hands of his friend, José Sirgado (played by Eusebio Poncela), who is a professional film director. Through the tape, his own memories, and an all-consuming investigation, Sirgado follows Pedro's last steps, only to discover – too late – that the same camera that is going to engulf him has already trapped the soul of his friend. To unravel this complex tapestry of film and life, The Last Rapture features testimonies from the survivors of the film, including Poncela, and the leading actresses from this marvellous work, Cecilia Roth and Marta Fernández Muro.

Filmmaker Jaime Chávarri (director of classics such as El Desencanto (1976) and the more recent La manzana de oro [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), a close friend of Zulueta's, played a fundamental role in the creation of the original film, allowing filming to take place at his family home. Also participating in this non-fiction feature film are the producer and distributor Paco Hoyos, custodian of the original negative; Carlos Astiárraga, Zulueta's partner and first assistant director; Virginia Montenegro, the director's best friend and legatee of his work; and the historian Carlos F Heredero, author of the first essay on the Basque film-maker's work, Iván Zulueta: la vanguardia frente al espejo, published in 1989.

Film critic, co-director and co-screenwriter Marta Medina is also the screenwriter of the thriller Asedio [+see also:
trailer
film profile], directed by Miguel Ángel Vivas. Enrique López Lavigne – who debuted as co-director alongside Juan Cavestany, with What a Feeling! in 2004 – is a recognised independent producer with a notable international career who has brought over 70 feature films to our screens, both in Spain, such as The Grandmother [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paco Plaza
film profile], Verónica [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paco Plaza
film profile], Holy Camp! [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Javier Calvo and Javier Amb…
film profile], People in Places [+see also:
trailer
film profile], The Impossible [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juan Antonio Bayona
film profile], Sex and Lucia [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Intacto and El milagro de P. Tinto, and on the international scene, such as The Sisters Brothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jacques Audiard
film profile] and 28 Weeks Later [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

The Last Rapture is being produced by Apache Films SL and 39 Escalones Films SL.

(Translated from Spanish)