The Matador is the epic tale of David "El Fandi" Fandila's quest to become the world's top-ranked bullfighter. Heart-wrenching setbacks and thrilling successes dramatize El Fandi's three-year journey across Spain and Latin America and into the pages of bullfighting history.
More than one man's quest for greatness, "Matador" is a story of love -- of a son for his family, of audiences for their heroes, of a people for their cultural traditions, and of the bullfighter's paradoxical love for the majestic beast that he must kill to create his art.
As David struggles to achieve his place in the pantheon of Spain's greatest bullfighters, he is confronted by those who question the place of this ancient and brutal ritual in the modern world.
"[The filmmakers] capture the paradox of beauty and cruelty that charges their entire film. The Matador is rightly exciting -- and unsettling." Kevin Thomas - Los Angeles Times
"The Matador reserves judgment while raising the core issue concerning this traditional ritual: deep, poetic cultural expression or glorified animal cruelty?" Elana Oumano - L.A. Weekly
"Stripping away centuries of civilization, The Matador confronts something primal in human nature, daring us to do the same." Jeanette Catsoulis - New York Times
"PETA activists will be apoplectic, but the pic is geared to more culturally open-minded viewers unacquainted with the subtleties of the corrida, revealing that it’s a primitive though complex sport, and that Fandila is an athlete with a dancer’s skills." Robert Koehler - Variety
