Experience Santa Cruz de Tenerife from a unique, unsettling, and thought-provoking point of view: revisiting the events that have left a lasting impact on the city. This is the essence of the XFAtlantic Summer of the Black Genre Tenerife Noir festival, which brings a variety of activities to the island and Gran Canaria throughout these days.
The route Santa Cruz, Black Chronicle offers a stroll through notable locations that have been etched in the collective consciousness of a city which, while accustomed to routine, has occasionally faced shocking criminal events.
This journey will examine the horrific case of Alexander, referred to as the “crime of the century” in periodicals of the time. The brutal parricide of a German family in Santa Cruz on December 16, 1970, generated headlines around the world; 16-year-old Frank Alexander dismembered his mother after perceiving “the eyes of the devil” in her, subsequently killing and mutilating his two sisters. This disturbingly tragic event unfolded on the central Jesús Nacareno street within the city. Another infamous episode to be recounted is the Padrón pension murders, where human remains were discovered between two mattresses.
These and many other dark tales will be narrated by a prominent figure in Canary Islands’ investigative journalism, Carlos Pérez Simancas, occurring on Saturdays March 22 and 29, commencing at 8:00 p.m. The starting point will be the Nuestra Señora de África market, concluding at Plaza de San Francisco. Spaces are quite limited, with tickets priced at only five euros. Registrations can be made by calling or sending a WhatsApp message to 659 94 77 93.
A Diverse Agenda
The X Atlantic Festival of the Black Genre this weekend features renowned comic book creator Frank Miller as its main attraction. The American artist, screenwriter, and director will be present this Saturday and Sunday at the CAJACANARIAS CULTURAL SPACE in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Miller will be joined by Silenn Thomas, director of the documentary Frank Miller: American Genius, which focuses on his life and work, premiering in Spain this Saturday.
Frank Miller’s itinerary for Tenerife Noir includes participating in the screening of Sin City (2005) that he co-directed with Robert Rodriguez, celebrating its twentieth anniversary, followed by a panel discussion. This event is set for Sunday (from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) at the CajaCanarias Cultural Space. Before this, as previously mentioned, the same venue will host the Spanish premiere of the documentary from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., featuring discussions with Thomas and Miller. Following the film sessions, a signing event will be held for half an hour.
Venues
Frank Miller’s final day at Tenerife Noir will be when he is awarded a black and crime prize acknowledging his career. This award comprises a classic Borsalino hat, reminiscent of the gangsters from classic film noir.
The programme also features concerts such as Cowboy Bebop Live!, showcasing music from the anime series Cowboy Bebop by Yoko Kanno. The Japanese composer will be present at these Big Band performances held by the Canary Islands ensemble, directed by Kike Perdomo with vocalists Esther Ovejero and Mery Afonso. Concerts are scheduled for this Friday (8:00 p.m.) at the CajaCanarias Cultural Space and Saturday (8:00 p.m.) at the Guiniguada Theatre in Las Palmas. Tickets for the latter are still available for purchase at the theatre and online box office.
The programme commenced yesterday with the Cinexpress workshops led by Steven E. de Souza, taking place at the CajaCanarias Cultural Space, which will continue until Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The American screenwriter is heralded as a pioneer in 80s action cinema, known for scripting films such as Commando (1985), Pursued (1987), Limit: 48 Hours (1982), and Crystal Jungle (1988), which he co-wrote with Jeb Stuart.
This afternoon (6:00 p.m.), the Central Municipal Library of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (TEA) will host the comic presentation of I Am a Murderer by Pedro Arjona, featuring the author and journalist Eduardo García Rojas. In this comic, Arjona returns with an engaging story derived from the feminist detective novel Personal Misfortunes authored by Carlos Pérez Merinero.
On Sunday, the CajaCanarias Cultural Space in the capital of Tenerife will host the meeting of the Meridiano Zero Cartel, with the directors of Neroma Noir Festival, Fabio Worldi; Tenerife Noir, Alejandro Martín; and Javier Rivero from the criminal novel gathering of Tías being in attendance. Following this session, the Neroma Unpublished Tales Award, in the Spanish section, will be awarded to Alberto Palacios Santos for his story It Always Rains in Noir Novels, published by the Giallo Seal of the Mondadori publishing house.
Ralph Bakshi
The screening of Cool World, a foray into hybrid animation featuring live actors amid a storyline of chaos and allure, concludes the Ralph Bakshi: Urban Noir series organised by Filmoteca Canaria and Tenerife Noir. The film will be shown next Tuesday at the Guiniguada Theatre in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and on Thursday, at La Granja in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, both at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be sourced at the theatres and through their designated online platforms (teatroguiniguada.janto.es and lagranja.janto.es).
