Enrique Nicanor

Enrique Nicanor (5 December 1944 – 8 July 2025) was a Spanish film and television producer and director, writer and designer best known for his works for public service broadcasting as Director of TVE-2, the Spanish Public TV and the creation of and Perezgil, the Spanish muppets of Sesame Street (Barrio Sésamo). He began as a designer and film animation director in Cuba in 1959. Based in Paris and Spain (1967), he was board member and President of INPUT-TV, The International Public TV Conference and film trainer at EAVE, The European Producers' workshop and the European Commission Learning Network. He was an independent producer from 1988 until his death in 2025.

Background The son of a Galician family of modest landowners, Nicanor's parents emigrated after the Spanish Civil war to New York joining their family there. In 1950 the family established their home in Havana where he studied Fine Arts at The National School of Fine Arts Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes "San Alejandro" and Philosophy and History of Arts at the University of Havana. In 1965 the family left Cuba and he went to Paris to work as animation director and cameraman with producer Serge Danot. In 1967, Mr. Adolfo Suárez, Director of the recently created Spanish Public TV (RTVE), invited E. Nicanor to come back to Spain and join the new institution where he produced and directed films and documentaries till 1983 becoming that year Director of the channel. In 1988 he left the Spanish institution to work internationally as an independent producer/consultor promoting public broadcasting service within institutions such as INPUT-TV,

Early works in Cuba and France 1959, Cartoonist and designer for the Cuban newspaper Prensa Libre and the weekly magazine Bohemia at the time that Cuban Revolution changed the political power. 1960, Founder, Animator and Director of the Animation Department of ICAIC - Instituto Cubano de Arte e Industria Cinematográficos together with artists Jesús de Armas, Tulio Raggi, Eduardo Muñoz-Bachs, Modesto García, Hernán Henríquez, Harry Read, Jorge Carruana, Wichy R. Nogueras, Paco Prats and other pioneers who created the first Cuban animation films. 1965, director, animator and cameraman with producer Serge Danot, co-producer Ivor Wood and scenographer Rafael Esteve for the Public French TV (ORTF) programme series The Magic Roundabout .

Filmography Cuba (ICAIC) + Year Title Spanish title Description Notes 1960 a-e-i-o-u a-e-i-o-u Animation on the first letters of the alphabet Animator with Hernán Henriquez 1961 Ogu, the Primitive Man Ogú, el hombre primitivo[ Animation on the discovery of solidarity Director, animation by Hernán Henriquez and Jorge Carruana 1963 The Paper Bird El gallito de papel Animation on toys' war and peace Designer, directed by Jorge Carruana, animator Wichy Nogueras 1965 Macrotí, a Cuban Noah Macrotí, un Noé cubano Animation on the Cuban aborigin story of Noah's Ark Animator, directed by Tulio Raggi 1965 Two Men Dos hombres Animation on the dangers of human greed Story by Fernando Villaverde

Filmography France, (ORTF) Year Title French title Description Starring 1965/1966 The Magic Roundabout Animation puppet series for small children, 26 Episodes Mumú, Lolita, Mondoñedo, D. Tontón 1967 First Day of School El primer dia de escuela First "free cinema" Doc. for TVE on education / Ramiro de Maetzu School Host: Ivan Tubau 1967 Images to Learn Imágenes para saber Weekely cultural magazine / Film segments co-director with video Director Ricardo Arias First appearance in TV of Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente 1968 School Television Televisión escolar School daily magazine / Film segments co-director with video Director Ricardo Arias Felix Rodríguez de la Fuente, Carmen Esther, Manolo Portillo...

Cómo es Cómo se hace +scripts: Justo Merino, voice-over: Eufrasio Zúñiga Episode Title Spanish title Description Location 1 (1968) The Olive Oil El aceite de oliva From the historic plantation of the olive trees to the bottle Jaén, Andalusia 2 Bread El Pan From collecting wheat to baker's work and distribution Madrid 3 Ceramic La cerámica Traditional Spanish pottery Bailén, Andalusia 4 Wood Furniture Un mueble de madera From cutting the tree to the carpenter's hand-craft Almagro 5 A Spanish Guitar Una guitarra española The secret process of combining woods and crafts to get music sounds Ramírez Guitars, Madrid 6 The Paper El papel From the collecting of wood to our desktop Sarrió, Leiza, Navarre 7 An Electric Dam Una central eléctrica Transforming water river flow into power Central del Duero, Extremadura 8 A Nuclear Power Plant Una planta nuclear The process of transforming uranium into electric power Vandellós, Tarragona 9 The Japanese Lacquerware La laca japonesa with Prof. Ramon Sarsanedas, Escola Massana Barcelone 10 A Jewel Una joya Goldsmith and arts at the Escola Massana, Barcelone 11 An Art Collection Una colección de arte Museum Frederic Marés Frederic Marés Museum, himself Barcelone 12 A Newspaper Un periódico The printing of La Vanguardia Barcelone 13 A Classic Spa Un balneario Mondariz Vigo, Galicia 14 An experimental farm Una granja Experimental Granxa do Louro Porriño, Galicia 15 Growing Sea-food La pesca del marisco with Alvaro Cunqueiro (writer) O Grove, Vigo, Galicia 16 A Galician Back-pipe Una gaita gallega traditional Galician craft-maker Pontevedra 17 The Galician Camellia La camelia gallega Planting, growing and caring camellias A Coruña, Galicia 18 A Public Park Un parque Caring and life of a park. Parque Güell Barcelona 19 A Fabric La tela From the thread to the fabric. Industrial knitting Barcelona 20 Orchids in a Green House Un vivero de orquideas. "El inglés" Green house Nerja, Málaga 21 Inshore Fishing La pesca de bajura Fishermen fleet working close to the coast Málaga 22 A Spanish Sword Una espada española Forgering traditional Toledan steel. Felix' forgery Toledo 23 A Medieval Spanish Armor Una armadura medieval Forgering and decorating traditional Toledan steel Toledo 24 Toledan Goldsmith El damasquinado Toledan / Arab traditional goldsmith Toledo 25 Recording and printing a Vinil Disk Un disco de vinilo On the industry of music Madrid 26 Modeling a Statue El modelado en barro The artistic process to create a statue Bailén, Andalusia 27 The Art Restoration La restauración artística Instituto de Restauración Artística Madrid 28 A Supersonic Combat Airplane Un avión de combate supersónico The Saeta aircraft by CASA Seville 29 (1971) A Radio Broadcast Una emisora de radio Radio Popular with Tip y Coll and Alfonso Eduardo Madrid 30 (1972) How Television is made (Part 1) La televisión (episodio 1) TVE, Prado del Rey Madrid 31 (1972) How Television is made (Part 2) La televisión (episodio 2) TVE, Prado del Rey Madrid + Stand alone films and programmes Episode Title Spanish title Description Notes 1970 Front Page: Mexico: Luis Echeverria president A toda plana: Elecciones en México. Would presidente Luís Echeverría re-establish relations with Franco's Spain? Documentary on President Luis Echeverria takeover ceremony and possible re-establishing diplomatic relations. Commissioned by Eduardo Sancho 1970 Cheste a Cell of New Families Cheste, una célula universitaria para nuevas familias New education at the Cheste Labour University, Cheste, Valencia Host: Eduardo Sancho 1970 Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei Pilot for the series The History of Science Scientific advisor: Dr. Roberto Saumells 1973 Trip to the Moon Viaje a la luna (de Cyrano de Bergerac) Fiction episode for the series "La Comparsa" Gabriel Fariza, Miriam de Maeztu, Juan Margallo, Marcelo Rubal 1973 The Hunting of the Snark La caza del Snark (by Lewis Carroll) Fiction episode for the series "La Comparsa" Francisco Merino and Quique San Francisco 1976 Platero and I, Juan Ramón Jiménez Platero y yo, Juan Ramón Jiménez Fiction episode for the series "Books" (Los libros) Script by and Enrique Nicanor

The Rules of the Game

Barrio Sésamo Broadcast Title Description starring 1979–1980 BARRIO SESAMO First Sesame Street Spanish co-prod with CTW featuring Spanish characters and muppets Emma Cohen as "Caponata", Jesús Alacaide as "Perezgil", Gabriel Fariza, Concha Goyanes, Juan Margallo, Petri Martínez ...

Noah's Ark / El arca de Noé, series on wildlife and nature +(1983) Series Director: José L. Cuerda, 4 episodes by E. Nicanor on nature and wildlife of the Argentinian Patagonia Episode Title Spanish title Description Notes Opening titles of the series Cabecera de la serie Music by Pepe Nieto 1 Wild Patagonia Patagonia salvaje Terrestrial wild life of Patagonia Scientific advisor and text: Joaquín Araújo. Argentinian advisor: Francisco Erice 2 Whales of Patagonia, The Right-South Whale La ballena Franca del Sur Life, migration, mating and birth of the Right-South whale Scientific advisor and text: Joaquín Araújo. Argentinian advisor: Francisco Erice 3 Sea Wolves and Seals of Patagonia Harenes en la costa Sea Wolves and Seals living habits on the coast of Península Valdés Scientific advisor and text: Joaquín Araújo. Argentinian advisor: Francisco Erice 4 Birds of Patagonia Pájaros de Patagonia Penguins, cormorants, petrels and skubas way of life Series scientific advisor and text: Joaquín Araújo. Argentinian advisor in place: Francisco Erice

1983, Head of the Children Programmes Unit at RTVE

Source:

1983-1987 Channel Director for TVE-2, the Cultural channel of RTVE Diana Larrea, Mr. Trazo, Equipo Moral, Txuspo Poyo, Enrique Marty, Luis Cerveró,

DosJotas, Mónica Blas, Lope Serrano, Marc Gómez del Moral, Carles Santos and many more... 1983/1987 lit: "What Do We Paint Here?", which colloquially means, "What Business Have We Here?" ¿Qué pintamos aquí? Host: Francisco Rabal13 Painters: Jacinto Esteva, Antonio López, Lucio Muñoz, Eusebio Sempere, Carmen Laforet, Jose Hernández, Antón Llamazares, among others 1984/1987 At Midnight A medianoche First time daily News programme at TVE-2Host Felipe MellizoDaily News and Current Affairs at midnight 1983/1987 JAZZ AMONG FRIENDS Jazz entre amigos Weekly jazz international bands magazineHost: Juan Claudio CifuentesInternational jazz bands, concerts and interviews to Jazz artists 1983/1987 BULLETIN BOARD Tablón de Anuncios Youth weekly magazineDirector: Adolfo Dufour Host: Felicidad OrquínSecond season of the weekly magazine 1983/1987 Sighs of Spain SUSPIROS DE ESPAÑA (Telematón) Weekly magazine offering one free min. of speech on TV to ordinary peopleDirector: Gonzalo Sebastián de Erice Real people in towns and streets talk what they like 1983/1987 SEFARDI FOLK SONGS Cancionero Sefardita español First collection of traditional Sephardi folk songsDirector: G. SoliMore than 1.000 rescued Sephardi songs 1983/1987 LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE Hablemos de Amor Weekly talk-show on love and sex relations Hosts: Ivan Tubau Margarita RiviereFirst time love and sex relations on Spanish TV

President of INPUT-TV, The International Public TV Conference

1983, Elected member of the Board of INPUT-TV, The Public TV International Conference, Howard Klein (Rockefeller Foundation), Mike Fentiman (BBC) Jim Day (WNET-PBS), Sergio Borelli (RAI) and (ARTE). 1987, Hosted and organised the INPUT-TV International Conference held in 1987-Granada, Spain. 1995, Hosted and organised the INPUT-TV International Conference held in 1995-San Sebastian, Brest and Cardiff

Independent films and documentaries Year Title Spanish Description/network Starring 1992 THE WAY-OUT OF THE LABYRINTH La salida del laberinto Episode for the series Chronicles of Evil Javier Bardem, Germán Cobos, Eva Cobo 1998 FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA, FAMILY PORTRAIT Federico García Lorca, retrato de familia. Biopic of Lorca on the Centenary of his birth, directed by John Healey, produced by RTVE, Arte Christopher Maurer, Edward Albee, Stephen Levine, Lorca family. Interviews by John Healey 2000 MYSTERIES OF THE GALICIAN BOTAFUMEIRO [Thurible] El misterio del Botafumeiro de Santiago de CompostelaDiscovery Communications 2001 THE PORT WINE El vino de OportoDiscovery Communications 2002 MYSTERIES OF YÚCATAN: The CENOTES Misterios de Yucatán, los cenotesDiscovery Communications Alejandro Saldaña main diver and explorer 2003 THE CORK OF PORTUGAL El corcho de PortugalDiscovery Communications 2003 PLANET MARS IN THE EARTH: RIO TINTO Rio Tinto, Marte en la TierraDiscovery Communications Ricardo Amils, Carol Stoker, Hitchell Sogin, Jonathan Trent, Jochen Broks and Roger Buick. Co-directed with Manuela Gutierrez 2011 TAGORE, CÉSAIRE, NERUDA, FOR UNIVERSAL HUMANISM Tagore, Césaire, Neruda, por un humanismo universal About Humanism by the 3 Nobel awarded writers/poets for UNESCORabindranath Tagore, Aimé Césaire and Pablo Neruda a, Opening speech by D.G. Irina Bukova 2012 YOU MUST BE NUTS, The Business of Dementia ¿Te has vuelto loc@? El Negocio de la demencia Investigative doc. on Alzheimer and nutrition In assoc. with Inner Eye, Prod. UK. / Kaberi and Obhi Chatterjee

Interviews within films and programmes

Awards and nominations 1982 Ondas award (Premio Ondas) for lifetime achievement in TV (Robinson) 2005 Golden Medal of the Galician Audiovisual Academy (AGA) to lifetime achievement