Salomé

This documentary-style film unfolds in two parts, tracing the birth and execution of a flamenco stage adaptation of the biblical tale Salomé. The director Pere Arquillué guides a creative team as they translate the story into rehearsal rooms, costumes, and choreography. The central figure is Salomé Aída Gómez, a dancer whose ascent has included overcoming a severe scoliosis and who now leads the Spanish National Ballet. The ensemble also features King Herod Paco Mora and Herodias Carmen Villena, as well as John the Baptist Javier Toca, each sharing their roots as dancers and recalling how their parents initially faced resistance to their career choices.

In the first part, we see the process in close detail: the story is summarized for the troupe, the director expresses his vision for the drama’s propulsion, and the team—musician, set designer, choreographer, and costume designer—maps out how the stage will come alive. The rehearsals become a window into a living collaboration, with every member contributing to the mood, tempo, and visual language of the piece. The film thus doubles as both a documentary on creation and a character-driven portrait of four dancers who carry the narrative forward.

Part Two shifts to the stage itself, a spare but lush environment bathed in color and light, where the audience is drawn into the plot as it unfolds. On the surface, the court of King Herod, who has married Herodias, seems to revolve around Salomé, his stepdaughter that he desires. Herod, consumed by fascination, asks Salomé to dance for him on his birthday, a request she initially refuses with dignity. Herodias pushes her daughter toward the performance, exposing the complicated web of desire, power, and rivalry that frames the dance. Salomé’s sensual, feverish interpretation—the dance of the seven veils—becomes a turning point; the king’s appetite grows as he promises anything she asks. In a dramatic and defiant move, Salomé requests the head of John the Baptist Javier Toca. The moment arrives: the head is presented on a tray, and the moment reveals Salomé’s deeper ache. She realizes that her feelings for the prophet are still alive, and in a final, devastating act, she ends her own life.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:23