Director of Las truchas and La corte de Faraón; Goya-winning screenwriter
José Luis García Sánchez was a Spanish film director, producer and screenwriter. His film Las truchas won the Golden Bear at the 1978 Berlin International Film Festival, and he won two Goya Awards for co-writing Belle Époque and Tirano Banderas. He died in Madrid on 25 October 2026, aged 85.
Born in Salamanca on 22 September 1941, he was married to the singer Rosa León and was the father of the filmmaker Víctor García León.
Published 25 October 2026
José Luis García Sánchez, Spanish director who won Berlin’s Golden Bear, dies at 85
The Salamanca-born filmmaker won the Golden Bear for Las truchas and two Goyas as co-writer of Belle Époque and Tirano Banderas. The Spanish Film Academy confirmed his death in Madrid.
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