Two feature films will reconstruct the murder of Miguel Ángel Blanco
Two separate feature films will reconstruct the July 1997 kidnapping and murder of municipal councilor Miguel Ángel Blanco by the terrorist group ETA, bringing parallel cinematic projects to Spanish theaters and streaming platforms. As espinof.com reported, the twin productions join a wave of recent dramatic explorations into the period, utilizing contrasting creative approaches to examine the 48-hour ordeal that paralyzed the country nearly three decades ago.
The first project, titled El hijo de todos, is directed by Álvaro Brechner and will begin filming soon across various locations in the Basque Country. According to espinof.com, the film focuses heavily on the intimate, human dimension of the crisis through the experiences of Blanco’s parents and sister, alongside the widespread citizen mobilization the event sparked. The title itself derives from words spoken by the victim’s mother, Consuelo Garrido, upon learning of his death: “ETA has not killed my son, it has killed everyone’s son.”
Eduard Sola and Juma Fodde penned the screenplay following extensive documentation and testimony gathering. The cast features Pol Monen as Miguel Ángel Blanco, Laia Manzanares as his sister Mari Mar Blanco, María Botto as Consuelo Garrido, José Luis García Pérez as his father Miguel Blanco, and Asier Etxeandia as Carlos Totorika, who served as the mayor of Ermua during the kidnapping. Mari Mar Blanco is collaborating directly with the production team.
María Luisa Gutiérrez, a producer and founding partner at Bowfinger International Pictures, noted in the source material that the film aims to represent the broader pain of all terrorism victims while illustrating the collective unity sparked by the tragedy.
Running on a parallel production track, a second feature film titled Blanco is set to begin filming on October 19, 2026. Directed by Félix Viscarret—who previously worked on Patria—the project is produced by Nadie es Perfecto and the Basque production company Euskadi Movie, with backing from RTVE and Netflix. Universal Pictures International Spain is handling domestic distribution.
The film sets its sights on a theatrical release date of July 9, 2027, deliberately coinciding with the thirtieth anniversary of the murder. Unlike Brechner’s family-focused lens, Viscarret’s film constructs its narrative around the perspective of the journalists who covered the unfolding crisis, incorporating research and direct testimonies with the support of the Miguel Ángel Blanco Foundation and the Blanco Garrido family.
The cast for Blanco includes Mikel Bustamante stepping into the role of Miguel Ángel Blanco, with Eneko Sagardoy and Jon Ander Urresti heading the main cast alongside journalists portrayed by Natalia Huarte, Carlos Scholz, and Lander Otaola. Miguel Garcés, David Lorente, Susana Abaitua, Urko Olazabal, Amaia Aberasturi, Israel Elejalde, and Ramón Barea round out the ensemble.
Miguel Ángel Blanco was a 29-year-old Partido Popular councilor in Ermua when ETA abducted him on July 10, 1997, in Eibar while he traveled to work. The terrorists issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding the transfer of imprisoned members to Basque prisons before shooting him on July 12, resulting in his death early the following morning. The subsequent demonstrations gave rise to the term ‘Spirit of Ermua’. Both upcoming cinematic works follow earlier televisual treatments of the tragedy, including the 2008 Antena 3 miniseries 48 horas and a Netflix documentary released in 2026.
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