Al-Madina (La ciudad), [Al-Madina (The City)], 2010

He travelled to another land, another sea, being certain that he had found a better city, but he didn't know that his city was travelling with him.

Gonzalo Ballester

1982, Murcia. Lives and works in Madrid. A graduate of Audiovisual Communication, Ballester also studied at the European Film College in Denmark (2005). He has directed short-duration documentaries including Mimoune (2006, 11'), which has been awarded 15 prizes and has been selected for a hundred international festivals. In 2003 he filmed the footage for La Serenissima (2006, 30') in Venice, a short film shortlisted for the Malaga Festival and nominated best short documentary in the Goya Prizes in 2007. In 2006 he was selected to participate in the Young Prize of the Cannes Film Festival. His latest productions - El último paisajista (2007, 25') and The Molky Way (2009, 24') - have been awarded a dozen prizes and screened in several festivals around the world.