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They say a great way to learn a language is to watch movies. Immerse yourself in that language and get the hang of it.

Unfortunately in the United States, there aren’t too many places to immerse yourself in Euskara and even fewer opportunities to see movies in Euskara. But what do most of us have right at home? Netflix.

I looked into what Basque movies are on American Netflix, and it turns out there are quite a few more options than I expected. Only two are actually in Euskara, but there is a decent selection of Basque-themed movies in Spanish as well.

If you don’t have a Netflix subscription, don’t worry. They offer a one-month free trial, so you can watch all of the Basque movies they offer for free before a paid subscription kicks in. You can sign up for it here.

Check out the options:

Basque Movies on Netflix

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil is a re-telling of an ancient fable about a Blacksmith who finds himself battling the Devil. In this story the Blacksmith has captured a demon and lives a life of hermit-like seclusion away from the prying eyes of the townsfolk. All is going well until a desperate little girl, Usue, accidentally stumbles across the devil and unknowingly releases him. It is then left to the Blacksmith to reclaim his bounty, but this is easier said than done as he also finds himself at the end of a lynch mob that have come searching for the missing Usue. – IMDb

• Nominated for Best Special Effects at 2019 Goya Awards
• Winner of Best Feature at 2017 San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival

 

Handia (The Giant)

A story about the world’s tallest man, this is an unsettling Basque-language period drama focused on sibling rivalry.

Having fought in the First Carlist War, Martin returns to his family farm in Gipuzkoa only to find that his younger brother, Joaquín, towers over him in height. Convinced that everyone will want to pay to see the tallest man on Earth, the siblings set out on a long trip all over Europe, during which ambition, money and fame will forever change the family’s fate. A story based on true events.  – IMDb

• Winner of 10 Goya Awards (2018) and nominated for 13
• Winner of Best Basque Film at 2018 San Sebastian International Film Festival

 

Those are the only 2 movies in Basque I could find on Netflix, but if there are others, please let us know in the comments!

Otherwise, there are 3 movies in Spanish based on Basque themes.

 

Basque-Themed Movies on Netflix

El Guardián Invisible (The Invisible Guardian)

Amaia Salazar, a police inspector in Pamplona, is directed by her superior to investigate a murder. The case concerns a teenage girl whose naked body was found at the side of a river close to Elizondo, Amaia’s birth town, a rainy village surrounded by forests and mounts, full of local myths and ancient superstitions. Her marriage to James, an American sculptor, is falling apart due to her desire for a child, and despite wishing to never return to her family home, Amaia Salazar is forced to face the past and reconnect with her Aunt Engrasi and her sisters Flora and Rosaura. It seems that Amaia’s instinct for criminal cases will be challenged, as more naked bodies of teenage girls are found in the forest. Trying to solve the case and discover the identity of the killer, Amaia must not only confront her own childhood trauma from the abuses of her mother, but also a growing suspicion that perhaps the killer is someone who is too close for comfort. – IMDb

• Based on the first novel in the Baztan Trilogy by Basque writer Dolores Redondo.

 

Fe de Etarras (Bomb Scared)

Fe de etarras follows a dysfunctional group of terrorists as they wait in a safe house for a call telling them to go into action. The dark comedy is somewhat historical in that it takes place in Spanish Basque country in 2010, the year that Spain won the World Cup in South Africa. The rest of the country is celebrating the big win, but the terrorists remain cooped up in the house, where their differences and conflicting ideals threaten to drive them crazy. – Decider

• Premiered at the 2017 San Sebastian International Film Festival
• Netflix’s second Spanish language original movie

 

El Fin de ETA (The Demise of ETA)

This documentary chronicles the decade-long process that led to the end of the ETA, a Basque terrorist group that operated for more than 50 years. From the “socialization of suffering” to peace in the Basque Country: with extraordinary access to the principal players, this is the story of a 10 year process, which began with secret talks in a Gipuzkoan farmhouse and ended – after moments of hope and painful disappointments – with the broad anti-terrorist strategy that brought an end to the violence of ETA, increasingly rejected en masse by Spanish and Basque society, and isolated after their radical nationalist supporters opted for peace. – IMDb

 

As an honorable mention, there is also a documentary series called Strongland that features the Basque Country in its first episode. The series looks at the cultural roots of strongman competitions in Europe, and the first episode is all about Basque rural sports. Could be interesting if you’re a fan of weightlifting.

Also, shoutout to Netflix Original La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) for having a Basque actor, Itziar Ituño, as part of the main cast.

 

So there you have a couple of movies to help you practice your Euskara comprehension, and a few others to learn more about the Basque Country and Basque culture.

Let me know in the comments what other Basque movies you would recommend watching. And if there are any on Netflix I missed, let us know in the comments.

Happy viewing!

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