Oskar Alegria's Film 'Emak Bakia' Traces Man Ray's Basque Mystery

Spanish filmmaker and journalist Oskar Alegria has released a DVD titled 'Emak Bakia,' a documentary that reconstructs the story behind Man Ray's 1926 film of the same name. The title, meaning 'leave me alone' in Basque, refers to a house on the coast between Biarritz and Bidart. Alegria's film combines archival footage from Man Ray with newly shot scenes from the same locations, ninety years later, to investigate the mysterious house's history. Through clues, interpretations, and encounters with witnesses, Alegria uncovers details such as the tomb of an immortal clown, an enigmatic postcard addressed to a forgotten person, and a Romanian princess who returned decades later to recall the life of exiled aristocracy. The narrative also includes a bombing that never happened and a fire with no remaining trace. The film is marked by the influence of Dadaism, with video images edited with subtle sobriety. The work reflects on disappearance—of the house, of Basque names given by fishermen to offshore rocks, and of words in a surviving language.