El Sur (The South) is a 1983 drama film directed by Spanish filmmaker Victor Erice, who also wrote the screenplay.

Querejeta attributed this to a lack of financing, although neither Erice nor the film's cinematographer, José Luis Alcaine, believed that was the reason.

[1] In 1957, Estrella, a young girl living in northern Spain, awakens to learn her father Agustín has died.

She learns from Julia that her father had lived in southern Spain—"El Sur"—during his childhood, but left after a dispute with Estrella's grandfather.

One night before bedtime, Milagros explains that during the Spanish Civil War, her grandfather supported Francisco Franco while Agustín was a Republican.

Later, Estrella arrives at a movie theater, and discovers Irene Ríos is an actress whose name is featured on a film poster.

He leaves early and arrives at a café where he writes a letter to Irene, whose real name is Laura, asking for her whereabouts.

Everything about El Sur, including the highly theatrical lighting, is so artfully composed that it seems to be more about film making than characters or ideas.