AllMovie

In this slow-paced film focusing on Basque culture and politics, the life of Tasio (Patxi Bisquert), a man who works in the coal industry, is traced from his childhood (young Tasio is played by Garikoitz Mendigutxia), through his teen years (Isidro José Solano), to his adulthood. As Tasio grows up and learns about his world working on a coke pile, dealing with tragedy when deaths occur, or simply relating to his brother, best friend, or father, the issues of exploitation of the workers and the repression by the Spanish Civil Guard, and questions relating to the priesthood are brought forward. Both his home and family life as a husband and father, as well as his relationships to those around him, give a sympathetic and clear picture of Basque village culture, although the topic itself may limit interest in the film.