José Ulloa

José Ulloa, beloved Spanish film director, screenwriter, and actor, passed away on April 8, 2026, at the age of 92. He leaves behind a legacy that stretches from the gritty streets of 1970s Madrid to the quiet corners of family living rooms where his movies still flicker on old television sets. José was the kind of man who could turn a cramped fallout shelter into a stage for love in *El refugio del miedo*, and who, with a twinkle in his eye, would improvise a line just to make his crew laugh between takes. I still remember the afternoon he taught me how to splice film by hand, his fingers moving with the same careful patience he used when he’d sit on the balcony of his Madrid apartment, sketching storyboards for a new script while a pot of strong coffee simmered on the stove. Family was the heart of José’s world. He married his high school sweetheart, María, in 1956, and together they raised three children—Luis, Ana, and Carlos—who he adored with a devotion that spilled over into every project he undertook. Weekend barbecues in their backyard were a ritual: José would grill chorizo while regaling the kids with stories of his latest script, and later, when the sun set, he’d pull out his old guitar and sing folk songs that had inspired the scores of his films. His grandchildren still recall how he’d pause a movie to point out a hidden detail, insisting, “That’s the magic of cinema—look closer, you’ll find a whole world in a single frame.” Beyond the camera, José was an avid reader of classic literature, a collector of vintage vinyl, and a passionate gardener who could coax roses to bloom even in the most stubborn of soils. He loved to wander the narrow alleys of Seville, notebook in hand, jotting down snippets of conversation that would later become the dialogue that made his characters feel so real. Those who worked with him speak of his generosity: he’d stay late to help a newcomer understand the rhythm