Nemesio Manuel Sobrevila (1889-1969) is generally thought of as the accursed artist of Spanish film. He directed El Sexto Sentido in 1929, but the film was never distributed on the pretence that it was too modern for its time.

Sobrevila had a particular taste for parodies of historical films and espagnolades. He liked to criticize the avant-garde films of Luis Buñuel. His position had the knack of stirring up major controversy within the Spanish film milieu. He was proud to present that his own films belong to the "après-garde".

His reputation of accursed artist grew very fast. His film production Las Maravillosas Curas del doctor Asuero is censed in 1929. The filming of Saint Ignace de Loyola even had to be postponed due to pressure from the Jesuits.

The Basque architect from Bilbao made his very first film with amateur actors. With El Sexto Sentido he offers a bold reflection on nature and the essence of the cinema. Faced with the primacy of narration, experimental film would be another path, a sixth sense like Prof Kamus’ camera…

The artist attempted then to work with Luis Buñuel, the executive producer at Filmófono on the film La hija de Juan Simón, but he was quickly dismissed for being overly meticulous. He needed a full week to shoot two scenes! According to historian Sánchez Vidal, the decor he constructed would be used after his departure for numerous Filmófono productions.

After this misadventure, and while the Civil War was tearing Spain apart, Sobrevila made two more films, including a documentary on Guernica (Guernika) in 1937. The filming rushes were sent to Paris for editing, and Sobrevila fled to France as well. He was banished for having participated in Guernika and had to seek refuge in South America before he was able to return to Spain, where he died in 1969.

The original material is a duplicate negative, duplicated in 1961, likely from a nitrate original that was destroyed after reproduction.

The original music for this film was composed by Marc Perrone in 2008.