In The Bullring With "The Matador"
Some see the practice as an expressive art form, while others have deemed it a cruel and archaic ritual. And despite a growing number of detractors, Spanish bullfighting remains extremely popular in the Mediterranean region, as tens of thousands continue to flock to Spain every year in order to catch a glimpse of an ancient struggle for life and death between man and bull.
Now, American director Stephen Higgins, along with his co-director Nina Gilden Seavey, have unveiled a new documentary entitled "The Matador," which chronicles several years in the life of Spain's most famous bullfighter, David Fandila. The film also explores the mounting pressure from various animal rights activists who wish to completely outlaw bullfighting alltogether. Fandila and Higgins spoke with CBS News about the controversy surrounding this popular pastime.
"During the lifetime of a bull, there is the beginning, and there is a climax," Fandila said of his lifelong pursuit. The youthful matador also said that he wanted "to show what bullfighting is really about. Not just what happens in the ring, but what's behind the scenes and how one comes to this lifestyle and the culture behind it." Higgins and Fandila noted that Spanish bullfighting remains an essential facet of the country's traditions.
Known to his many legions of fans as "El Fandi," the young matador sets out in the film to complete 100 fights, or corridas, within one bullfighting season, a feat accomplished only by a very select few matadors over the last several centuries.
"He works all the time now, he's focused. … When he retires, he'll figure out what to do. And I think that's part of why he's so good at what he does actually," Higgins said of his young subject.
Aside from suspenseful scenes capturing Fandila and a bull alone in the ring during a corrida, "The Matador" also depicts El Fandi during some more intimate and quieter moments, as the young Spaniard prepares for each and every fight with a Catholic prayer. Higgins gained first hand access into the chaotic life of this ultra-famous matador, who continues to redefine the practice and inspire his fans each time he enters the ring.
"Bullfighting itself has a traditional approach to it that doesn't change. But what changes is that the younger generations of bullfighters who bring in something new every time. So it becomes something personal, something more idiosyncratic," Fandila noted.
Those who are interested in this tradition but do not have any plans to travel to Spain in the near future can learn firsthand about Fandila and this controversial practice, as "The Matador" opens in select theaters this November.
By Ken Lombardi