A fresh take on a famous fairy tale

Maribel VerdĂș as Encarna in Blancanieves, directed by Pablo Berger. (via Sony Pictures Classics)
By Olga Verkhotina

Who doesn’t love good, old-fashioned fairy tales?

No matter how old we get, we can all forget whatever we are working on and make time to read or watch a favorite childhood story.

The movie industry has found that soft spot in viewers, and filmmakers have been on the kick of producing film versions of famous fairy tales for the big screen.

Snow White, in fact, has been the leader. Just by looking at last year’s releases, we can find at least two Snow White interpretations that have become blockbusters.

Snow White and The Witch. (via Disney)
For comedy lovers, director Tarsem Singh put together Mirror Mirror, starring Julia Roberts, keeping the old and familiar storyline but adding some modern-day humor.
Viewers who appreciate darker dramas and action enjoyed the duo of Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman.

The classic 1937 Disney version of Snow White never lost its popularity either. Generation after generation watches the same story of a joyful and innocent young girl, whose goal is to find her prince and live happily ever after, and they find themselves in it.

The 2013 Fresno Film Festival will feature a brand-new big-screen version of the well-known fairy tale, Blancanieves. However, this time the take will be much different from what we are used to.

Blancanieves – Official Trailer

The film promises a silent, black-and-white flamenco musical that is set in 1920s Seville and tells the story of Snow White as if she were a female bullfighter. This twisted new take on an old story has been nominated for 32 awards at a multiple international film festivals, and it has won 31 of them, including several major awards.

“The film captivates our inner child,” Blancanieves director Pablo Berger says. “The audience will feel like they are sitting on my lap, being told a story full of fantasy, drama, horror, and dark humor.”

Once upon a time …

Olga Verkhotina studies journalism at Fresno City College. She is the Filmworks media relations and communication intern.