Film director Isabel Coixet bequeaths a defence of the analogue world to future Cervantes
The Catalan director condemns artificial intelligence and global ecocide in a letter read at her tribute, donating 'anachronistic' items to the Caja de las Letras, to be reopened in fifty years.
Isabel Coixet, the renowned Spanish film director born in Sant Adrià del Besós in 1960, has left behind a poignant legacy for future generations. In her own words, recorded on a cassette tape containing 18 songs, she champions the analogue world amidst a rapidly digitizing society. The tape features a collage of songs by Camarón, Lucho Gatica, and the Catalan rumba group La lista de la compra by La Cabra Mecánica and María Jiménez, all merged together to create a Lynchian feel that rejects explicit meaning.
In a handwritten letter, Coixet underscores the handmade nature of her gesture, paying tribute to simple objects like torrijas, clay water jugs, and open-air summer cinemas. She warns against the allure of speciality coffee chains, hoping the reader will never have the misfortune of encountering them.
The filmmaker, who will receive the Antonio de Sancha Award 2026 from the Madrid Publishers Association for her contributions to literature and bookshops as cultural spaces, has immersed herself in film adaptations in her final creative phase. Her films, such as The Bookshop, embody her belief in freedom and travel as essential driving forces behind her work.
Coixet's impact on the Spanish film industry is undeniable, with multiple Golden Bear nominations and eight Goya Awards to her name. Her dedication to preserving the Spanish language through the Institute Cervantes' vault of tributes, now containing over 1,800 memorabilia from Spanish-speaking figures, ensures her legacy will endure for generations to come.
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