Photo: Pedro J Pacheco / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Icíar Bollaín is the kind of filmmaker I trust on instinct. She moved from acting into directing without losing her humanity, and her camera goes straight toward the bruises most people look away from. Take My Eyes, which swept seven Goya Awards, confronts domestic violence with unflinching tenderness, while Even the Rain and Maixabel wrestle with exploitation and political wounds. To me that is the rarest combination in cinema: anger and compassion held at once. The 2021 Gold Medal of Merit felt overdue. I value directors who refuse easy comfort, and Bollaín keeps choosing the harder, more honest frame every time.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Icíar Bollaín
- Name (Japanese)
- イシアル・ボジャイン
- Reading
- いしある・ぼじゃいん
- Born
- June 12, 1967 (age 59)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Goat
- Origin
- Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
- Occupation
- film director / screenwriter / film actor / actor / director
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2004 Goya Award for Best Director
- 2004 Goya Award for Best Original Screenplay
- 2021 Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts
- 2010 Comadre de Oro Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Flores de otro mundo | — | |
| Notable work | Take My Eyes | — | |
| Notable work | Even the Rain | — | |
| Notable work | Kathmandu Lullaby | — | |
| Notable work | Maixabel | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Icíar Bollaín born?
Born June 12, 1967 (age 59).
Where is Icíar Bollaín from?
Icíar Bollaín is from Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain.
What does Icíar Bollaín do?
Icíar Bollaín works as film director, screenwriter, film actor, actor, director.
What is Icíar Bollaín known for?
Notable works include Flores de otro mundo, Take My Eyes, Even the Rain.
Film director — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from Spain →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.