Itziar Ituño was already well-known in the Basque Country, but she made a leap to international fame after the television series ‘Money Heist’. Within three days of its release on Netflix, she gained up to three million followers on Instagram, and ultimately, her adventure in Madrid lasted five years.

When she was a child, her schoolmates laughed when she said she wanted to be an actress, as she was quite shy. However, she was determined to pursue her dream. Even so, she did not expect to achieve such fame. Initially, she had no intention of participating in the Madrid project and was taken aback when she found out she had been chosen, as she felt very comfortable living and working in the Basque Country. However, she decided to give it a try, and now she is leveraging the impact she gained from the series to promote and spread Basque culture and language.

In this episode of the BASQUE. Podcast, Itziar shares her journey as an actress and her thoughts on the role of art as a tool for social change.

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Itziar Ituñok bazuen izena Euskal Herrian, baina La Casa de Papel telesailaren ostean mundura egin zuen jauzi. Netflixen estreinatu eta hiru egunetara, hiru milioi jarraitzailetaraino heldu zen Instagramen eta, azkenean, bost urtez luzatu zen bere Madrilgo abentura.

Txikitan, aktore izan nahi zuela esan zuenean, barrez hasi zitzaizkion eskolako lagunak, oso lotsatia baitzen. Baina garbi zuen bere ametsa. Halere, ez zuen espero hainbesteko ospea lortuko zuenik. Hasiera batean ez zuen Madrilgo proiektuan parte hartzeko asmorik, eta sustoa hartu zuen bera hautatu zutela jakiterakoan, eroso bizi baitzen Euskal Herrian. Baina froga egitea erabaki zuen, eta, egun, telesailaren eztandari esker lortu duen oihartzuna baliatzen ari da euskal kultura eta hizkuntza aldarrikatu eta hedatzeko. 

BASQUE. podcastaren atal honetan, bere ibilbideaz eta arteak aldaketarako tresna gisa duen funtzioaz hausnartu du aktoreak.

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This podcast is produced by Ulu Media for Etxepare Basque Institute:

• Director: Oier Aranzabal
• Translation: Diana Draper
• Sound Design: Oier Aranzabal
• Sound mixed at Ulu Studio
• Producer: Cristina Tapia Huici

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You can also explore more stories about Basque culture and creativity on our websites www.basqueculture.eus and www.etxepare.eus. 

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Itziar Ituño, actress: “The art that unsettles us, that moves us, is usually full of love”

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Itziar Ituño, aktorea: “Bihotzean azkura eragiten digun artea, hunkitzen gaituena, maitasunez beteta egon ohi da".

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This podcast is produced by Ulu Media for Etxepare Basque Institute:

• Director: Oier Aranzabal
• Translation: Diana Draper
• Sound Design: Oier Aranzabal
• Sound mixed at Ulu Studio
• Producer: Cristina Tapia Huici

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You can also explore more stories about Basque culture and creativity on our websites www.basqueculture.eus and www.etxepare.eus. 

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Hiromi Yoshida learned Basque before ever stepping into the Basque Country, three decades ago. Since then, she has frequently visited us. We met the linguist and Basque language teacher in Azpeitia, a town she particularly loves. In fact, she wrote her thesis on the local dialect and translated Bernart Etxepare’s Linguae Vasconum Primitiae, the first book written in Basque, into Japanese.  

Yoshida highlights the dialects and the dynamic nature of the Basque language, but she is concerned about its health, as it is not easy for minority languages to survive in a globalised world. In this episode of the Basque. Podcast, we will closely explore the journey of this Japanese researcher from the moment she fell in love with the Basque language to the present day.

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Euskal Herrian sekula izan gabe ikasi zuen euskara, duela hiru hamarkada, eta orduz geroztik maiz etorri da. Hiromi Yoshida hizkuntzalari eta euskara irakaslearekin elkartu gara Azpeitian, bereziki maite duen herrian. Izan ere, bertako euskalkiari buruz egin zuen tesia, eta japonierara itzuli zuen Bernart Etxepareren Linguae Vasconum Primitiae liburua, euskaraz idatzitako lehena.

Euskalkiak eta gure hizkuntzaren dinamikotasuna nabarmentzen ditu Yoshidak, baina kezkatuta dago euskararen osasunarekin, ez baita erraza hizkuntza gutxituentzat mundu globalizatuan bizirautea. Basque. podcastaren atal honetan, gertutik ezagutuko dugu ikertzaile japoniarraren ibilbidea, euskararekin maitemindu zenetik gaurdaino.

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This podcast is produced by Ulu Media for Etxepare Basque Institute:

• Director: Oier Aranzabal
• Translation: Diana Draper
• Sound Design: Oier Aranzabal
• Sound mixed at Ulu Studio
• Producer: Cristina Tapia Huici

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You can also explore more stories about Basque culture and creativity on our websites www.basqueculture.eus and www.etxepare.eus. 

Follow us on social media:

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Hiromi Yoshida, linguist: “Basque is a dynamic living oral language, but needs to be used if it is to survive”

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Hiromi Yoshida, hizkuntzalaria: “Euskara hizkuntza bizi dinamikoa da, baina biziraun dezan gehiago erabili behar dugu”.

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This podcast is produced by Ulu Media for Etxepare Basque Institute:

• Director: Oier Aranzabal
• Translation: Diana Draper
• Sound Design: Oier Aranzabal
• Sound mixed at Ulu Studio
• Producer: Cristina Tapia Huici

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You can also explore more stories about Basque culture and creativity on our websites www.basqueculture.eus and www.etxepare.eus. 

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According to Sahatsa Jauregi, “the art scene in the Basque Country has something almost unique, something that few places have: a lot of really good artists doing really good work, but gallery and exhibition spaces are limited.” Sahatsa is one of the prominent names in contemporary Basque art. She is a sculptor and visual artist, and she also works as a teacher and researcher at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Leioa.

What is the world of galleries and collectors like? What perceptions do wealthy individuals have of artists? Jauregi will welcome Oier Aranzabal into her workplace in Bilbao, and they will engage in a conversation about the artist's origins and present, as well as tradition and contemporary art, among other topics.

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Sahatsa Jauregiren esanetan, “Euskal Herriko arte testuinguruak badu berezitasun bat, leku oso gutxitan gertatzen dena: artista pila bat daude eta oso kalitate handiko gauzak egiten dira, baina galeria eta erakusketa espazioak murritzak dira”. Euskal arte garaikideko izen handietako bat da Sahatsa. Eskultore eta artista plastikoa da, eta irakasle eta ikerlari lanetan ere ari da Leioako Arte Ederren fakultatean.

Nolakoa da galerien eta kolekzionisten mundua? Zein pertzepzio dute artistez klase altuko pertsonek? Jauregik Bilbon duen lantokiraino sartuko da Oier Aranzabal, eta solasean arituko dira artistaren jatorriaz eta orainaz, tradizioaz eta arte garaikideaz, besteak beste.

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This podcast is produced by Ulu Media for Etxepare Basque Institute:

• Director: Oier Aranzabal
• Translation: Diana Draper
• Sound Design: Oier Aranzabal
• Sound mixed at Ulu Studio
• Producer: Cristina Tapia Huici

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You can also explore more stories about Basque culture and creativity on our websites www.basqueculture.eus and www.etxepare.eus. 

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Sahatsa Jauregi, artist: Artists are labeled as “the other”

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Sahatsa Jauregi, artista: “Artistak desberdina denaren ordezkaritzat hartzen dira”.

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This podcast is produced by Ulu Media for Etxepare Basque Institute:

• Director: Oier Aranzabal
• Translation: Diana Draper
• Sound Design: Oier Aranzabal
• Sound mixed at Ulu Studio
• Producer: Cristina Tapia Huici

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You can also explore more stories about Basque culture and creativity on our websites www.basqueculture.eus and www.etxepare.eus. 

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Eneko Atxa has many childhood memories linked to the kitchen. The kitchen used to be the heart of the home; a place to learn and listen to stories. Indeed, he would spend hours as a child listening to his mother and grandmother chatting, surrounded by delightful aromas.

Certainly, gastronomy holds immense significance in Basque culture: “In the Basque Country, everything happens around the table; it is something almost spiritual to us.” This is the belief of Atxa, who heads the renowned Azurmendi restaurant, which has three Michelin stars. In addition to the one in Larrabetzu, he also runs restaurants in Bilbao, Madrid, Seville, and even Tokyo.

What flavours and colours does the Basque Country have? How has Azurmendi achieved such success? Is the pressure of running a high-end restaurant manageable? The Basque chef has long considered the greatness of reaching the summit, and after achieving his goal, he recognises that the journey has been the most gratifying aspect. Now, he is focused on enjoying the moment.

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Haurtzaroko oroitzapen asko ditu Eneko Atxak sukaldearekin lotuta. Sukaldea etxeen bihotza zen garai batean; ikasteko eta istorioak entzuteko tokia. Hain zuzen ere, orduak eta orduak ematen zituen txikitan amaren eta amonaren kontuak entzuten, usain ederrez inguratuta.

Izan ere, gastronomiak berebiziko garrantzia du euskal kulturan: “Euskal Herrian guztia mahaiaren inguruan gertatzen da; zerbait ia espirituala da”. Hala uste du chef zornotzarrak, hiru Michelin izardun Azurmendi jatetxe ospetsuaren arduradunak. Larrabetzukoaz gain, baditu jatetxe gehiago ere: Bilbon, Madrilen, Sevillan eta baita Tokion ere.

Zein zapore eta kolore ditu Euskal Herriak? Nola lortu du Azurmendik horrenbesteko arrakasta? Eramangarria al zaio goi mailako jatetxe baten presioa? Urte asko igaro ditu Eneko Atxak pentsatzen zein ederra izango zen gailurrera iristea, eta behin helburua lortuta, aitortu du prozesuak asebete duela gehien. Orain, momentuaz gozatzearen alde dago.

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This podcast is produced by Ulu Media for Etxepare Basque Institute:

• Director: Oier Aranzabal
• Translation: Diana Draper
• Sound Design: Oier Aranzabal
• Sound mixed at Ulu Studio
• Producer: Cristina Tapia Huici

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You can also explore more stories about Basque culture and creativity on our websites www.basqueculture.eus and www.etxepare.eus. 

Follow us on social media:

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Eneko Atxa, chef: “Gathering at the table is almost spiritual for Basques”.

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Eneko Atxa, sukaldaria: “Euskal Herrian guztia mahaiaren inguruan gertatzen da; zerbait ia espirituala da”.

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This podcast is produced by Ulu Media for Etxepare Basque Institute:

• Director: Oier Aranzabal
• Translation: Diana Draper
• Sound Design: Oier Aranzabal
• Sound mixed at Ulu Studio
• Producer: Cristina Tapia Huici

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You can also explore more stories about Basque culture and creativity on our websites www.basqueculture.eus and www.etxepare.eus. 

Follow us on social media:

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In 2011, Estibaliz Urresola decided to leave her job and move to Barcelona to pursue her dream of becoming a filmmaker. Thirteen years later, she premiered her first feature film, ‘20,000 Species of Bees’, not just anywhere, but at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. She received a ten-minute standing ovation, as well as a significant award, with Sofia Otero winning the Silver Bear for her outstanding performance.  

In this first episode of the BASQUE. podcast, the filmmaker engages in conversation with Oier Aranzabal about her childhood memories, the challenges of starting out in filmmaking, and the cinema that provokes unease, among other topics.

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2011. urtean lana utzi eta Bartzelonara joatea erabaki zuen Estibaliz Urresolak, zinemagile bihurtzeko ametsaren atzetik. 13 urte geroago, bere lehen film luzea estreinatu zuen, ‘20.000 erle-espezie’, eta ez edonolako plazan: Berlingo Nazioarteko 73. zinema-jaialdian. Hamar minutuko txalo zaparrada jaso zuen, baita sari potoloa ere, Sofia Otero gaztetxoak Zilarrezko Hartza irabazi baitzuen bere antzezpen bikainagatik.

Zinegile arabarra Oier Aranzabalekin solasean jardun da BASQUE. podcastaren lehen atal honetan bere txikitako oroitzapenez, zinemagintzan hasteak dakartzan buruhausteez eta azkura sortzen duen zinemaz, besteak beste.

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This podcast is produced by Ulu Media for Etxepare Basque Institute:

• Director: Oier Aranzabal
• Translation: Diana Draper
• Sound Design: Oier Aranzabal
• Sound mixed at Ulu Studio
• Producer: Cristina Tapia Huici

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You can also explore more stories about Basque culture and creativity on our websites www.basqueculture.eus and www.etxepare.eus.

Follow us on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/etxepareinst 

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Estibaliz Urresola, filmmaker: "I enjoy the kind of art that provokes unease"

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Estibaliz Urresola, zinegilea: "Nonbaiten azkura egiten digun artea da gehien disfrutatzen dudana"

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This podcast is produced by Ulu Media for Etxepare Basque Institute:

• Director: Oier Aranzabal
• Translation: Diana Draper
• Sound Design: Oier Aranzabal
• Sound mixed at Ulu Studio
• Producer: Cristina Tapia Huici

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You can also explore more stories about Basque culture and creativity on our websites www.basqueculture.eus and www.etxepare.eus.

Follow us on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/etxepareinst 

https://x.com/etxepareinst 

https://www.facebook.com/etxepareinst