El secreto de Alberto Portera

Alberto Portera's Secret (David Plaza, 2025) is a selection of fragments by a previously unseen filmmaker: Alberto Portera. A neurosurgeon by profession and art aficionado, he penned numerous articles and essays about the art world in addition to shooting footage of the artists of the El Paso en acción group as they went about their daily artistic activity (Millares, Saura, Canogar...) and others such as Hernández Mompó, José Guerrero or Amadeo Gabino (Grupo Parpalló). He also recorded the film shoots of Carlos Saura, clinical trials, travels, performances... Alberto Portera is presented to us as a missing link between the tradition of classic documentary filmmaking and amateur art-house cinema.

These films have been recently restored and digitized by the Fundación Juan March. Made specially for this session, the selection of fragments will be presented by Alicia Chillida, curator of the exhibition Archivo Portera at the Abstract Art Museum of Cuenca.

The Fundación Juan March is a family and heritage institution created in 1955 by financier Juan March Ordinas with the mission of promoting culture in Spain with no other commitment than the quality of its offerings and the benefit of the community it serves. Over the years, changing social needs have inspired, within a single institutional identity, two different models of action. For two decades, it was a scholarship foundation. Currently, it is an operational foundation with its own programs, mostly long-term and always free of charge, designed to spread confidence in the principles of humanism in a time of uncertainty and increased opportunities due to the acceleration of technological progress. The Foundation organizes exhibitions, concert cycles and lectures. Its headquarters in Madrid houses a library of contemporary Spanish music and theater. It owns the Spanish Abstract Art Museum in Cuenca and the Museu Fundación Juan March in Palma.

The screening will feature live music by Abel Hernández Pozuelo, who will compose music for this screening and will play the soundtrack to the films live.

In addition to his recognized work as a composer and performer for his various musical projects (Migala, Emak Bakia, El Hijo) in the Spanish and international pop scene, Abel Hernández Pozuelo has been expanding his horizons with his own musical works and productions for film, art, television and the performing arts. The scope of his work is broadened even further if we count his numerous collaborations as a music producer with other artists such as Grupo Salvaje, McEnroe and Territoire, as well as with composers such as Olivier Arson and Bruno Dozza on various soundtracks.


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