BEO'S ART + DESIGN CONTEST DEADLINE
2026-07-15 23:30 - 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles)
The BEO invited artists and designers to create an original image for our upcoming Basque Cultural Day event, a performance featuring a classical pianist (Josu Okiñena), a txistulari (Garikoitz Mendizabal), and a classically trained singer (Noelia Ibáñez).

Today is the deadline. Learn more about this HERE.

OPENING: THE IMPACT OF WOMEN IN BASQUE COMMUNITIES, ED. 3
2026-07-01 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles)
We will begin accepting submissions for the third edition of The Impact of Women in Basque Communities | A collection of pictures and words.

Stay tuned for more information.

SCHOLARSHIP "INTENT TO APPLY" DEADLINE
2026-06-30 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles)
This is the last day to let us know you’ll be submitting for the BEO scholarship competition.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WHAT, WHERE, AND HOW HERE

BFS: Lurdes Iriondo, EZ Gera Alferrik Pasako
2026-06-05 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | SF Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, United States
Join the BEO for “Lurdes Iriondo, Ez Gera Alferrik Pasako” at:

Basque Cultural Center599 Railroad AvenueSouth San Francisco, CA

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ABOUT THE FILMSLurdes Iriondo, Ez Gera Alferrik Pasako (Lurdes Iriondo, We Will Not Have Lived in Vain)

The film pays tribute to a key figure in the recent history of the Basque Country. Through an intimate yet resolute approach, the filmmakers highlight the life and legacy of Lurdes Iriondo — a pioneer of Basque-language music and a symbol of cultural resistance.

2025, directed by Inge Mendioroz Ibañez, 72 minutes, color, in Euskara with English subtitles.2025 San Sebastian International Film Festival Selection

BOOK CLUB / MOTHERS DON'T
2026-06-01 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Meetings are held via Zoom. If you are not currently a BEO Book Club member, join today for FREE and get the insider’s scoop (like the Zoom details).

JOIN TODAY

ABOUT THE BOOK:The short of it: A contemporary novel originally written in Basque (Amek ez dute), now available in English translation. It’s a sharp, thoughtful exploration of motherhood, creative ambition, and the emotional burdens women carry.

The longer synopsis: A mother kills her twins. Another woman, the narrator of this story, is about to give birth. She is a writer, and she realizes that she knows the woman who committed the infanticide. An obsession is born. She takes an extended leave, not for child-rearing, but to write. To research and write about the hidden truth behind the crime.

Mothers don’t write. Mothers give life. How could a woman be capable of neglecting her children? How could she kill them? Is motherhood a prison? Complete with elements of a traditional thriller, this is a groundbreaking novel in which the chronicle and the essay converge. Katixa Agirre reflects on the relationship between motherhood and creativity, in dialogue with writers such as Sylvia Plath and Doris Lessing. Mothers Don’t plumbs the depths of childhood and the lack of protection children face before the law. The result is a disturbing, original novel in which the author does not offer answers, but plants contradictions and discoveries. [Amazon]

A REVIEW:“It might seem that everything has already been said about the experience of motherhood and its darkest reverse sides, but Mothers don’t shows that there are still many corners to explore, and it does it with accuracy and intelligence”―Aixa de la Cruz

WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINE
2026-05-31 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles)
Celebrating and showing profound appreciation and support for the women in our Basque communities is pretty darn important to us. This fund is designed to support women who need financial assistance in shaping our communities, furthering our culture, and enhancing our Basque identity.

The BEO focuses on projects that are rooted in cultural identity and knowledge-sharing. We support women who share this vision.

Applications to our grant programs are accepted on a rolling basis beginning on April 15th through May 31, 2026.

learn about the women’s empowerment fund here

CREATOR'S GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINE
2026-05-31 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles)
WORKING ON AN ARTISTIC ENDEAVOR AND NEED SOME FINANCIAL HELP? LET’S TALK.

“Stories are a communal currency of humanity.” -Tahir Shah, in Arabian Nights.

No truer words… and this is why the BEO is so deeply committed to the creative souls in our greater community. This fund is for the artist committed to a project that tells a story about the Basques and represents the Basque culture.

Applications to our grant programs are accepted on a rolling basis beginning on April 15th through May 31, 2026.

learn about the creator’s fund here

MOVIE CLUB / PIKADERO (2016)
2026-05-26 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
JOIN THE MOVIE CLUB HERE

Pikadero is a warm, offbeat romantic comedy set in a coastal Basque town, where young couple Amaia and Iñigo are very much in love — but have nowhere to be alone. Still living with their parents and short on money, they embark on an increasingly inventive (and often hilarious) quest to find a private place together, leading them to cars, hillsides, empty lots, and other unlikely corners of their surroundings. Along the way, the film paints a gently humorous portrait of family life, youth, and the awkward transition into adulthood. Beautifully shot, it also doubles as a visual tour of the Basque landscape, capturing both its rugged coastline and its everyday urban spaces with affection. Light, relatable, and quietly charming, Pikadero finds comedy in ordinary frustrations while celebrating the persistence of love.

Meetings are held via Zoom. If you are not currently a BEO Movie Club member, you can learn more and sign up for free.

BFS: KARMELE
2026-05-15 19:00 - 21:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | SF Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, United States
The BEO will be hosting a Meet & Greet with Director Asier Altuna before the screening from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Join us for a bite and a chat in the large banquet room (Gernika) at:

Basque Cultural Center599 Railroad AvenueSouth San Francisco, CA

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ABOUT THE FILMKARMELE is a story of sustainability, resilience, and dignity in the face of oppression — a journey woven through culture, music, and art. Based on the real experiences of Karmele Urresti and Txomin Letamendi and inspired by the novel Elkarrekin Esnatzeko Ordua (Time to Wake Up Together) by Kirmen Uribe.

1937. Karmele and her family take refuge in France after being expelled from their home due to the war. There, Karmele is invited to take part in the Basque cultural embassy in exile, which seeks to fight the war through music and dance, and she meets Txomin, a professional trumpeter whom she falls in love with. After living for some time in Venezuela, the couple returns to their homeland to fight against the dictatorship, hoping to reclaim everything that was taken from them.

2025 directed by Asier Altuna, 114 minutes, color, in Euskara with English subtitles2025 San Sebastian International Film Festival Selection

LET US KNOW YOU’RE COMING to this screening on Friday, May 15th!

altuna’s u.s. tour schedule

DATEWHERETIMECOSTNOTESMORE INFOMay 8th @ 6:30 pmWashington D.C.: Georgetown University6:30 pmFreeQ&A with the DirectorHERE May 11th @ 6:30 pmReno, NV (by UNR): Craft Wine & Beer6:30 pmFreeQ&A with the DirectorhereMay 12th @ 6:00 pmGardnerville, NV: Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center6:00 pm$5 suggested donation to the museumQ&A with the DirectorHEREMay 15th @ 7:00 pmSouth San Francisco: The BEO + the Basque Cultural Center7:00 pmFreeBEO-hosted “Meet & Greet” with Asier Altuna before 7:30 screening; Q&A post-screening👆🏼👉🏼👇🏼👈🏼May 16th @ 6:30 pmOntario, OR: Oregon Basque Club6:30 pmFreeQ&A with the DirectorHEREMay 17th@ 6:00 pmGooding, ID: Gooding Basque Association6:00 pm$10 optional donationQ&A with the DirectorMay 19thBoise, ID: Basque Museum & Cultural Center6:00 pmFree / optional donation to BMCCQ&A with the DirectorhereMay 21stChino, CA: Chino Basque Club6:00 pmFreeQ&A with the DirectorMay 22ndBakersfield, CA: The Doré Theatre @ CSUB5:00 pmFreeQ&A with the DirectorHEREMay 31stSeattle, WA: Seattle Euskal Etxea Lowdown Ballroom2:00 pm

WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT GRANT APPLICATION OPENS UP
2026-04-15 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles)

CREATOR'S GRANT APPLICATION OPENS UP
2026-04-15 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles)

BOOK CLUB / OBABAKOAK
2026-04-13 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Meetings are held via Zoom. If you are not currently a BEO Book Club member, join today for FREE and get the insider’s scoop (like the Zoom details).

JOIN TODAY

ABOUT THE BOOK:A modern classic of Basque literature, Obabakoak is a tapestry of stories set around the fictional and whimsical village of Obaba. Poetic and deeply rooted in Basque life and imagination, Bernardo Atxaga’s novel is a standard on many bookshelves.

A REVIEW:Distinctive, subtle storytelling in a wide-ranging yet curiously cohesive novel, awarded the Spanish National Prize for Literature, from Basque writer Atxaga. Effectively combining the style and nuances of an oral tradition with themes exotic and surreal, Atxaga makes use of a variety of settings–from the streets of Hamburg to the jungles of the Upper Amazon, as well as the Basque and Spanish countryside–to create his imaginary land of Obaba. In a series of self-contained chapters, tales of people in varying degrees of psychological distress unfold–such as that of a troubled boy of 14 who has a vision of an enticing young woman in Hamburg, with whom he begins an intense if brief correspondence only to learn decades later that his father was really the one answering his letters, as a way of giving him guidance. Substantially more attention is given to the unfortunate narrator of the final section of the story, whose obsession with the possibility that a small green lizard could enter the human brain through the ear and cause idiocy, and whose belief that an eccentric schoolmate with a passion for lizards had intentionally reduced another boy to a simpleton by this means years before, ultimately lead him to suffer the same sad fate. Dark suggestions of suicide and sinister occurrences across centuries mingle with wry, humorous moments and ironic discussions of literary theory and the value of plagiarism, yielding a rich concoction of ideas and images. The work of an original voice and a considerable talent: a debut that’s as delightful as it is disturbing, and full of surprises. — Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

2026 BEO MUS TOURNAMENT
2026-04-12 07:30 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | SF Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, United States
WE THINK WE’VE ANSWERED MOST OF YOUR QUESTIONS BELOW. SO, IF YOU’RE READY TO ROLL, LETS DO IT.

Add this Mus tournament to your calendar here 👇🏼

register to play

WHEN IS THE TOURNAMENT?

Sunday, April 12. Mark your calendar.

Here’s the schedule of events:

7:30 a.m. Registration8:00 a.m. Mus tournament begins12:30 p.m. Lunch2:00 p.m. Final games

*Register for Mus by April 10th.

WHERE IS THE TOURNAMENT?

At the Basque Cultural Center599 Railroad AvenueSouth San Francisco, CA 94080

More specifically, in the kantxa.

WHO’S ELIGIBLE TO PLAY?

Anyone 16 years and older.

WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A PARTNER?

Go ahead and register; we’ll pair you with another “single” player.

IS THERE A LUNCH?

The Basque Cultural Center will have its members’ lunch, which is a separate event and a separate cost.

*Lunch is a separate cost.

Reservations for lunch are required by April 8th; you can reserve when you register to play or call the BCC directly at 650-583-8091.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY MUS?

$40 / person. ($25 to the BEO + $15 to N.A.B.O.)

IS THIS A NABO TOURNAMENT?

Yes, it is.

The winning team will play in the NABO finals at the South San Francisco Basque Cultural Center on Saturday, June 20th, 2026.

WHO SHOULD I TALK TO IF I HAVE QUESTIONS?

Our very talented mus coordinator, Aline. Click here to email her.

register to play

BFS: JONE, BATZUETAN / JONE, SOMETIMES
2026-04-07 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Roxie Theater, 3125 16th Street, San Francisco, California, 94103, United States
Join the BEO for the screening of the “Jone, Batzuetan” / “Jone, Sometimes” at:

San Francisco’s Little Roxie Theater3125 16th StreetSan Francisco, CA

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ABOUT THE FILMBilbao, mid-August. Jone (20) lives with her father and her younger sister Marta. Her father has had to leave his job, unable to continue due to the complications of Parkinson’s. Meanwhile the Big Week festivities kick off in Bilbao, during which Jone will fall in love for the first time. During this summer, Jone will alternate between the sensation of immortality she enjoys with Olga, the girl she falls for, and the fear of being left alone because of her father’s disease.

2025, directed by Sara Fantova, 80 minutes, color, in Euskara and Spanish with English subtitles.2025 San Sebastian International Film Festival Selection

Pre-purchase tickets today for $15, or pay at the door for $20.

MOVIE CLUB / ERREMENTARI: THE BLACKSMITH AND THE DEVIL
2026-03-31 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
JOIN THE MOVIE CLUB HERE

Set in a remote Álava village in the 1840s, Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil follows a feared and solitary blacksmith whose forge hides a secret that the townspeople whisper about but dare not confront. When an inquisitive orphan girl stumbles into his workshop, she unwittingly uncovers a strange captive in chains and sets in motion a darkly whimsical struggle involving superstition, greed, and long-buried guilt. Drawing on Basque folktales, the film blends gothic atmosphere with earthy humor and storybook imagination, gradually revealing that the monsters haunting the village may be less frightening than the people who claim to fear them. Rich in craft detail, folkloric touches, and moments of unexpected warmth, the film offers a moody yet accessible fable about forgiveness, loneliness, and the possibility of redemption — one that favors atmosphere and character over shocks, making it as engaging as it is eerie.

Meetings are held via Zoom. If you are not currently a BEO Movie Club member, you can learn more and sign up for free.

BERTSOLARI SAIOA
2026-03-08 14:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | SF Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, United States
The Bertsolari Exhibition, hosted by N.A.B.O. and the San Francisco Basque Club, will feature Julio Soto, Iker Zubeldia, and U.S.-based bertsolaris with real-time English translation of the poetic verses that the Bertsolaris will sing on an adjacent screen.

Lunch will be served beforehand ($55), with reservations due by February 25th to Philippe Acheritogaray at axeritogarai@gmail.com.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT

BFS: ITOIZ UDAKO SESIOAK
2026-03-06 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | SF Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, United States
This film greatly complements Kokein’s U.S. Tour, and visit to San Francisco’s Basque Cultural Center on March 28th. Join us for the screening at:

Basque Cultural Center599 Railroad AvenueSouth San Francisco, CA

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ABOUT THE FILMThe discovery of a series of unpublished tapes prompts Juan Carlos Pérez, leader of the iconic band Itoiz, to reflect on their break-up at the height of their fame, following an obvious shift in style towards pop music that he continues to spurn today. Juan Carlos therefore sets out on a cathartic journey into the essence of the group, reliving its early days as a prog-rock group in the Mutriku of the early 70s as he comes to terms with the past.

2024, directed by Larraitz Zuazo & Zuri Goikoetxea & Ainhoa Andraka, 102 minutes, color, in Euskara and Spanish with English subtitles.2025 San Sebastian International Film Festival Selection

BOOK CLUB / SHIBUMI
2026-02-16 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Meetings are held via Zoom. If you are not currently a BEO Book Club member, join today for FREE and get the insider’s scoop (like the Zoom details).

JOIN TODAY

ABOUT THE BOOK:Shibumi is a classic spy novel from bestselling author Trevanian, about a Westerner raised in Japan who becomes a high-powered assassin. With a tale that spans the globe, much of the thriller is set in the Basque Country in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Currently in pre-production at Warner Bros. for a film adaptation, Shibumi is sure to be an entertaining read on a cold winter night.

A REVIEW:“The historical fiction angle drew me to the novel. I think Amazon suggested it, based on my past purchase of Shogun, or perhaps Istanbul Passage by Joseph Cannon. For that itch, Shibumi didn’t disappoint. The novel is well-researched and touches subjects, times and places where my knowledge is a bit thin or even non-existent. It had me Googling and checking Wikipedia as I read, and taught me quite a bit along the way.

At its heart, inside its historical fiction wrapper, Shibumi is a novel of international intelligence and espionage. A corporate overlord, the Mother Company, controls the world’s top intelligence agencies (CIA, NSA, MI-5, etc.) and arranges twisted and uncomfortable, but not unbelievable, plots to maintain its grasp on the western world’s energy and information. How twisted and uncomfortable? How about a CIA mission in which it slaughters members of an Israeli cell set on foiling a PLO-backed plane hijacking? The Agency even kills, by design, some of its own agents in the process. Despite being published nearly 40 years ago, this aspect of the novel is, sadly, nowhere near being irrelevant or even dated. Indeed, it seems as believable and relevant today as, I suspect, it was in 1979.” – J. Matt Buchanan (read the review HERE)

BOOK CLUB / BILBAO-NEW YORK-BILBAO
2025-12-15 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Author Kirmen Uribe will be joining the conversation.

Meetings are held via Zoom. If you are not currently a BEO Book Club member, join today for FREE and get the insider’s scoop (like the Zoom details).

JOIN TODAY

ABOUT THE BOOK:Winner of the prestigious National Prize for Literature in Spain, Kirmen Uribe’s Bilbao-New York-Bilbao is a mesmerizing novel that reflects upon three generations of Kirmen’s family history. Written from the perspective of the author as he embarks on a long transatlantic flight, Kirmen traces his family roots back in time via art history and tales of fishing adventures in the wild North Atlantic.

A REVIEW:“Sharing the Basque literary tradition is, for Uribe, a form of hospitality: “We need to invite the people passing by to come into our house and offer them something there, even if that something is hardly anything. We have the tradition we have and that’s what we have to go on with.” This text is Uribe’s offering, but it is much more than “hardly anything.” He offers insight into his own history and raises questions about the construction of that history, what it takes to preserve the traditions that build you.” – Katy Dycus (read the entire review HERE)

MOVIE CLUB / SHE WALKS IN DARKNESS
2025-12-09 17:30 - 18:30 UTC
She Walks in Darkness (2025) is a brooding Spanish thriller that traces the decade-long undercover mission of Amaia (Susana Abaitua), a young Civil Guard officer embedded deep within the Basque separatist group ETA. Inspired by real large-scale infiltration operations of the 1990s and early 2000s, the film follows Amaia as she painstakingly earns the trust of key members of the organization, including the elusive Begoña (Iraia Elias). Operating between Spain and the south of France, she uses inventive spycraft to relay intelligence while carrying out covert assignments that place her in constant danger.

As the years pass, Amaia’s double life exacts a growing emotional and psychological toll. Increasingly isolated, she struggles to maintain her sense of self as the boundaries between duty, identity, and deception begin to blur. The film foregrounds themes of psychological strain, fractured identity, and the moral ambiguities of counterterrorism work.

A slow-burning thriller, She Walks in Darkness prioritizes atmosphere and tension over overt action. Its intercut use of archival news footage of ETA attacks situates the narrative within its historical context, lending weight and urgency to Amaia’s perilous descent into the heart of an armed organization.

Meetings are held via Zoom. If you are not currently a BEO Movie Club member, you can learn more and sign up HERE.

PINTXOS + TRIVIA NIGHT
2025-11-20 18:30 - 21:00 UTC
The BEO is proudly partnering with the San Francisco Basque Cultural Center (the BCC) for a friendly competition, good food, and community fun!

Join us for Trivia Night at the San Francisco Basque Cultural Center, where teams will go head-to-head in a lively pub-style trivia contest. Questions will cover a mix of categories—from Basque culture and history to pop culture, sports, music, and more.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE HAVE ANSWERS...When is trivia night?Thursday, November 20, 2025.
Doors will open at 6:30 PM with trivia starting promptly at 7:00 PM. Anyone is welcome to come even earlier… you’ll be in good company!
Where are we playing?San Francisco Basque Cultural Center
599 Railroad Avenue
South San Francisco
*in the Gernika Room
How many people should be on a team?The ideal team size is 4 to 6 people.
If you don’t have a full team, it’s no problem! Smaller groups or individuals are welcome! We’ll connect you with others to form a team.
Do I have to have a team set up to register?Not at all. You can register, and we’ll connect you with others to form a team on the night of the event.
What's the format of the trivia?The night will consist of four rounds of trivia with a variety of question styles. Points will be awarded each round, and the top teams will be recognized at the end of the night.
Prizes for winners and bragging rights included!
Will there be food?Uhmmmmm, of course!
Pintxos (Basque-style small bites) are included with your registration.
Drinks and additional menu items may be purchased from the bar and kitchen.
What are some of the registration details?The minimum age to participate is 18.
We are requiring RSVPs, and that deadline is Friday, November 14th.
The cost per participant is $20.

REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED

BFS: BIDEAN JARRAITUZ / FOLLOWING THE PATH
2025-11-11 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Roxie Theater, 3125 16th Street, San Francisco, California, 94103, United States
Join the BEO for the screening of the documentary Bidean Jarraituz / Following the Path at San Francisco’s Roxie Theater.

WATCH THE TRAILER

ABOUT THE FILMBingen Mendizabal, film music composer, was commissioned to compose the soundtrack for a documentary on the writer Bernardo Atxaga, “Atxaga: euskaldunen barne (Atxaga: within the Basques)”. For some time now, due to the economic crisis of 2008, Bingen had seen that he was hardly working in the film industry. This new assignment brings him back to his memory and reminds him of his career in film and music from the 1980s to the present day in the Basque Country, The film reviews through different testimonies the artistic maelstrom that took place and all the great names that made their way in the cinematographic and musical world, names that put the Basque Country and its culture on the artistic map of a generation and that served as an example for the following generations. Throughout this review, Bingen Mendizabal reflects on what success really is, following one’s own path.

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MOVIE CLUB / THE INVISIBLE GUARDIAN
2025-11-04 17:30 - 18:30 UTC
The first film of a series based on Dolores Redondo’s acclaimed Baztán Trilogy of novels, The Invisible Guardian follows detective Amaia Salazar as she investigates a string of murders in the quiet northern Navarre town of Elizondo. When the case begins to intertwine with her own family’s past, Amaia must piece together the killer’s psychological profile before he strikes again—while confronting long-buried secrets of her own.A dark psychological thriller with touches of camp, plenty of twists and threads of Basque mythology woven throughout, The Invisible Guardian offers an engaging mystery set in a region where many Basque Americans trace their family roots.

Language: Spanish with English subtitles. *Some streaming services may have English dub as a default option.

Meetings are held via Zoom. If you are not currently a BEO Movie Club member, you can learn more and sign up HERE.

A BASQUE SOUNDSCAPE
2025-10-13 17:00 - 18:30 UTC | UNR’s Center for Basque Studies, Harlan O. & Barbara R. Hall Recital Hall, Reno, Nevada, United States
Join classical pianist Josu Okiñena and txistulari Garikoitz Mendizabal for a magical evening of classical music composed and/or arranged by Basque musicians. Of incredible significance is the txistu, esteemed as one of the most ancient musical instruments known to humanity, offers a captivating window into the depths of musical history. Its origins can be traced to the distant past, with the earliest known txistu having been discovered in the Izturitz Cave.

This recital is sponsored by the University of Nevada, Reno Center for Basque Studies in collaboration with the BEO.

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MOVIE CLUB / LOREAK (FLOWERS)
2025-10-07 17:30 - 18:30 UTC
A poignant drama directed by Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga, Loreak delicately weaves a tale of loss, memory, and human connection set against the backdrop of the modern Basque Country. The film follows Ane, a woman whose mundane life is disrupted when she begins receiving weekly bouquets from a mysterious sender. As the story unfolds, Loreak explores how small gestures can ripple through lives, linking strangers in unexpected ways. Subtly powerful and emotionally resonant, the film meditates on grief and the lingering impact of love and absence with understated elegance.

Language: Basque with English subtitles. Some streaming services may have an English dub as a default option.

Meetings are held via Zoom. If you are not currently a BEO Movie Club member, you can learn more and sign up HERE.

Add this event to your calendar:

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BFS: Haizea eta Sustraiak (The Wind and the Roots)
2025-09-12 19:30 - 21:30 UTC
Join the BEO for the screening of the documentary Haizea eta Sustraiak (The Wind and the Roots) at the San Francisco Basque Cultural Center.

RSVP

*Note: The BEO has this film with English subtitles. If you are unable to join this screening in person and are interested in watching it, please email movieclub@basqueeducational.org.ABOUT THE FILMTxiki’s life provided us with an insight into the last executions of Franquism. His life, his history, his friends, and his dreams of freedom. While others bury their memory in the common pit of forgetfulness, where light or remembrance cannot reach, their families, friends, work colleagues, and anti-Franquist activist partners tell us about the end of the dictatorship, about their memories. These are testimonies that this lurking blanket of forgetfulness has not erased. It is a living history; it is part of our history.

2008, Directed by Joseba Iñaki Agirre Errazkin, 85 minutes, color, in Euskara and Castilian with English subtitles.

MORE INFORMATIONOfficial selection at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, 2008

BFS: Double-Header: Las Pelotaris / Hit the Wall
2025-08-23 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
TWO SHORT FILMS, ONE EVENT, LIVE PELOTA IMMEDIATELY AFTER

LAS PELOTARIS (2:00 p.m.):

‘Las pelotaris – A girls game’ is a short documentary film about women who play the Basque sport of pelota.It is a story about a group of enthusiastic women who try to make, with enormous sacrifices, their way of life in a sport they feel true passion for: Pelota or Jai Alai. Despite their achievements in the court and championships, gaining recognition in a narrow universe predominantly ruled by and for men is hard for them.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

HIT THE WALL (2:30ish):

A new documentary exploring the world of GAA Handball, Hit the Wall follows our elite athletes through the highs and lows of their season, showcasing their unrelenting pursuit of excellence and the unique mental resilience required to compete at the highest level.

In the landscape of Irish sport, Handball is an island within an island. Once hugely popular, it has since fallen into obscurity. Today, the countryside is littered with abandoned alleys and crumbling old walls, the remains of a once great game whose time would appear to have passed. Less than 10,000 players remain. These athletes strive for immortality in a game most consider “dead”.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

LIVE PELOTA GAMES IN THE HANDBALL COURT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING:

There will be pelota games with both local players and players from the Basque Country. Free of charge.

STARTING AT 3:00 p.m.Three Basque Pelota games in three different modalities.1) Paleta goma (where players use a wooden paddle to hit a rubber ball),2) Grand Chistera (similar to Jai-Alai, where players use a long, curved wicker basket called a chistera attached to their hand to catch and throw the ball. The basket allows the ball to be thrown at very high speeds and with dramatic curves), and3) Basque handball (one of the oldest and most traditional forms of Basque Pelota, where players use only their bare hands to hit a small, hard ball against a wall).

THE AFTERS: BBQ DINNER, RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.

Finally, if you’re interested in staying for dinner after the pelota games, we’re going to direct you to the San Francisco Basque Cultural Center’s reservations page, which is RIGHT HERE.

Int'l Symposium on the Basque Diaspora
2025-07-31 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-07-30 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
Hosted by the Basque Studies Foundation, in partnership with Basque Studies at Boise State University, the Zortziak Bat International Symposium is an educational gathering that will explore what often has been called “Zortziak Bat,” or the “8th Province,” a reference to the expansion of Zazpiak Bat (“Seven are One”) to include the Basque Diaspora.

The theme is “Rowing Together,” where individuals and communities work together to support, encourage, and inspire learning about the Basques. The symposium gathers scholars, creators, and cultural experts to examine the vibrant mosaic of Basque identities as it has grown and transformed within diaspora communities. We also invite students to attend the symposium, providing them a unique way to learn about the Basque Diaspora from professionals in a broad range of cultural disciplines and fields of expertise.

The BEO is a proud partner of this event, inviting the creative side of education to the fold. More information to come.

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BEO Scholarship Submission Deadline
2025-07-31 00:00 - 23:59 UTC
This is the last day to let us know you’ll be submitting for the BEO scholarship competition. CLICK HERE to learn more.
