Eduardo Díaz's *El sueño del ladrón* Reimagines Canary Islands' First Film, Screens This Week
Canarian director Eduardo Díaz's award-winning El sueño del ladrón, a modern reinterpretation of the Canary Islands' first feature film from 1926, is being screened this week by Filmoteca Canaria across the islands, with the director attending select events.
Canarian director Eduardo Díaz was inspired to create El sueño del ladrón (The Thief's Dream) by a desire to re-imagine an old film, expanding its visuals while condensing its timeline. This new film is a reinterpretation of El ladrón de los guantes blancos (The Thief of the White Gloves), which was the first feature film ever made in the Canary Islands, nearly a hundred years ago. Filmoteca Canaria is showing El sueño del ladrón this week as part of its "Time of Memory, Memory in Time" series, with screenings in Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Tenerife.
Director Eduardo Díaz and Niki Weber, who composed the film's music, will be at the screenings in Gran Canaria and Tenerife. They will discuss the creative process behind the film. The screenings are scheduled for: Tuesday, October 28, at 7:00 PM at the Teatro Guiniguada in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Wednesday, October 29, at 8:00 PM at the Auditorio Insular de Fuerteventura; and Thursday, October 30, at 7:00 PM at Espacio La Granja in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Released in 2023, El sueño del ladrón reimagines the 1926 silent film El ladrón de los guantes blancos. This original movie, made by José González Rivero and Romualdo García de Paredes, is known as the first feature film from the Canary Islands. It tells the story of renowned detective Tom Carter as he battles the mysterious Hooded Man and his gang. This criminal group has set its sights on David Henry and his innocent daughter, who enjoy a peaceful, wealthy life in their London palace.
The original 1926 film was lost for many decades before being found again in the 1980s. However, some parts of the footage were still missing or too damaged to recover. Instead of just restoring this fragmented material, Eduardo Díaz and his team chose to do more. They added new elements to the 1926 story, creating a fresh visual experience that speaks to today's audiences.
In 2024, El sueño del ladrón was featured in the Canarias Cinema section of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival. That same year, it won the award for best experimental feature film at the Sevilla Indie Film Festival.