Rafael Azcona Fernández (24 October 1926 – 24 March 2008) was a Spanish screenwriter and novelist who worked with some of the best Spanish and international filmmakers. Azcona won five Goya Awards during his career, including a lifetime achievement award in 1998.
He was born in the northern Spanish city Logroño on 24 October 1926. Azcona initially began his career writing for humor magazines. He became known as a screenwriter when he penned the screenplay for the film, El Pisito (The Little Apartment), which was based on his own novel. The 1959 film was directed by Italian film director, Marco Ferreri.
Azcona teamed up with director Fernando Trueba in “Belle Époque,” which won an Academy Award for best foreign film in 1994. He collaborated with other Spanish directors including Luis Garcia Berlanga, Jose Luis Cuerda, José Luis García Sánchez, Pedro Olea, and Carlos Saura. Azcona was also awarded the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts in 1994.
Rafael Azcona died at his home in Madrid, Spain, on 24 March 2008, at the age of 81.
Selected filmography as screenwriter 1959 : El pisito 1959 : Se vende un tranvía 1960 : El cochecito 1961 : Plácido 1961 : El secreto de los hombres azules 1962 : Mafioso 1962 : Three Fables of Love 1963 : The Conjugal Bed 1963 : The Executioner 1964 : The Ape Woman 1964 : Un rincón para querernos 1964 : Countersex 1965 : L'Uomo dei cinque palloni 1965 : Kiss the Other Sheik 1965 : Marcia nuziale 1965 : Run for Your Wife (1965 film) 1966 : L'estate 1967 : Tuset Street 1967 : Peppermint Frappé 1967 : Las Pirañas 1969 : Honeycomb 1970 : Long Live the Bride and Groom 1970 : Las secretas intencions 1970 : El Monumento 1970 : The Garden of Delights 1971 : The Audience 1971 : El Ojo del huracán 1971 : Cross Current 1972 : La Cera virgen 1972 : It Can Be Done Amigo 1972 : A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die 1973 : Tarot 1973 : Ana and the Wolves 1974 : The Marriage Revolution 1974 : Don't Touch The White Woman! 1974 : Claretta and Ben 1974 : La prima Angélica 1974 : Grandeur nature 1975 : El poder del deseo 1975 : Pim, pam, pum... ¡fuego! 1976 : The Anchorite 1976 : The Last Woman 1977 : My Daughter Hildegart 1978 : Un hombre llamado Flor de Otoño 1978 : Bye Bye Monkey 1978 : 1979 : La miel 1979 : La familia, bien, gracias 1981 : National Heritage 1981 : 127 millones libres de impuestos 1982 : Bésame, tonta 1982 : Nacional III 1983 : Don Chisciotte (TV) 1983 : Los desastres de la guerra (TV) 1985 : The Heifer 1985 : The Court of the Pharaoh 1986 : The House Must Be Unmade 1986 : Year of Enlightment 1987 : The Enchanted Forest 1987 : El pecador impecable 1987 : Moros y cristianos 1988 : Come sono buoni i bianchi 1988 : Pasodoble 1988 : The Little Spanish Soldier 1989 : The Flight of the Dove 1989 : Blood and Sand 1990 : La Mujer de tu vida: La mujer infiel (TV) 1990 : Ay Carmela 1992 : Chechu y familia 1992 : Belle Époque 1993 : Banderas, the Tyrant 1994 : La Mujer de tu vida 2: La mujer cualquiera (TV) 1995 : Sighs of Spain 1995 : El Rey del río 1995 : El Seductor 1996 : Gran Slalom 1997 : Tramway to Malvarrosa 1997 : In Praise of Older Women 1997 : There Is Always a Right Way 1998 : A Perfect Couple 1998 : The Girl of Your Dreams 1999 : Butterfly's Tongue 2000 : Goodbye from the Heart 2001 : El paraíso ya no es lo que era 2001 : Sound of the Sea 2002 : La marcha verde 2004 : Franky Banderas 2004 : Dearest Maria 2008 : The Blind Sunflowers
Honors 2007 – Gold Medal of Merit in Labour (Kingdom of Spain, 7 December 2007).
References
External links
The Telegraph: Rafael Azcona: 'Belle Epoque' screenwriter The Times: Rafael Azcona, Spanish screenwriter who won an Oscar for Belle Epoque