9th London Spanish Film Festival
27 September – 9 October 2013
at Ciné Lumière
PRESS RELEASE
Now in its ninth year, the London Spanish Film Festival will take place from 27 September to 9 October, showcasing some of the most exciting Spanish films of the last year – most of them screened for the first time in the UK. This year the festival will feature breathtaking thrillers, entertaining comedies, compelling documentaries, and moving studies of human relationships and weaknesses, many of them presented by their directors or actors.
Veteran filmmaker Fernando Colomo will come to present his latest film, La Banda Picasso, a Franco-Spanish production. Eduardo Chapero Jackson, who visited us last year with his debut feature film Verbo, will join us again to present his documentary on Spanish poet Antonio Machado, Los mundos sutiles, and to direct a very special poetry reading of a selection of Machado's poems with Spanish actress Eulàlia Ramón and English actor Nickolas Grace. León Siminiani and José F. Ortuño will come to introduce us to their debut feature films, Mapa and An Extraordinary Story respectively. Best known for his modelling career, Andrés Velencoso, will come to talk to us about his acting debut in Fin.
Some other guests coming are Aura Garrido and Borja Soler (actress and producer of Stockholm), Aïda Ballmann (actress in The Extraordinary Tale), Izaskun Arandia (producer of To Say Goodbye), Eulàlia Ramón (actress), Aura Garrido (actress in El cuerpo), Patricia Ferreira (director of Els Nens Salvatges), Féliz Cábez (director of The Labeque Way), among others.
This year we are celebrating Catalan cinema in our fifth Catalan Window. A very special and fully packed programme, it will open with Cesc Gay's Una pistola en cada mano, which will be introduced by the actor Javier Cámara, and will follow with Isabel Coixet's Ayer no termina nunca, also presented by Cámara, whom British audiences will remember well for his air steward role in Almodóvar's I'm so Excited! After several other screenings, will close with the thriling Insensibles, who will be presented by actor Alex Brendemühl.
Our Basque Window offers this year a careful selection of films followed by discussions ranging from marginalisation in Navarre's Baztan valley, the relevance of historical memory (led by Prof. Maria Delgado) and the reasons and fears behind the work of a frontline reporter with director Roberto Lozano Bruna.
The special feature is dedicated this year to one of Spain's most exportable talents, the Catalan Jordi Mollà, with a small selection of films from his long career - in Spain as well as beyond – and a unique on-stage interview. In collaboration with Blakes hotel and the gallery Coll & Cortés the London Spanish Film Festival will show some of Jordi Mollà's painting work, showing the many facets of the actor (more information below).
This year's Treasure from the Archives is a film that, together with its lead actress, Sara Montiel, marked an epoch in Spain: El Ultimo Cuplé (The Last Torch Song), an emotional drama that includes some symbolic traditional songs.
Film screenings and events will take place at Ciné Lumière and Instituto Cervantes.
The London Spanish Film Festival is organised by Tristana Media in collaboration with the Institut Français, the Cultural Office of the Spanish Embassy and the Instituto Cervantes.
For the full programme go to: www.londonspanishfilmfestival.com
You can download the festival trailer here Descarga el trailer del festival en https://vimeo.com/74031096
For further information, please, contact:
at the London Spanish Film Festival:
Noemi Cuetos Fernández |
Joana Granero | 07733 164 053 |
at Ciné lumière:
Natacha Antolini |
Justine Goy | 020 7871 3521 |
SCREENINGS AT CINE LUMIERE
fri 27 sep
6.30pm Stockholm dir. Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Q&A with actress Aura Garrido and producer Borja Soler
8.30pm Una pistola en cada mano dir. Cesc Gay
Q&A with the actor Javier Cámara
sat 28 sep
2.00pm El último cuplé dir. Juan de Orduña
4.10pm Los años bárbaros dir. Fernando Colomo
6.45pm The Extraordinary Tale dir. Laura Alvea, José F. Ortuño
Followed by a Q&A with director José F. Ortuño and the actress Aïda Ballmann
8.30pm Ayer no termina nunca dir. Isabel Coixet
Followed by Q&A with actor Javier Cámara and Prof. Maria Delgado (Queen Mary)
sun 29 sep
5.00pm Baztán dir. Iñaki Elizalde
Followed by a Q&A with director Iñaki Elizalde
7.30pm Blow dir. Ted Demme
mon 30 sep
6.15pm Ayer no termina nunca dir. Isabel Coixet
Preceded by short Anannia dir. Fernando de France
8.15pm To Say Goodbye dir. Matt Richards
Followed by a talk with the producer and Prof. Maria Delgado
tue 1 oct
6.15pm Colombiana dir. Olivier Megaton
8.30pm La Estrella dir. Alberto Aranda
wed 2 oct
6.15pm Nadie conoce a nadie dir. Mateo Gil
8.15pm Los mundos sutiles dir. Eduardo Chapero Jackson
Followed by a Q&A with the director Eduardo Chapero Jackson and dancer Avatâra Ayuso led by Antonio Molina-Vázquez, Director of Spain Now!
thu 3 oct
6.00pm Fin dir. Jorge Torregrossa
8.30pm La banda Picasso dir. Fernando Colomo
Followed by a Q&A with the director
fri 4 oct
6.15pm Mapa dir. León Siminiani
Followed by a Q&A with the director
8.30pm Los últimos dias dir. David & Alex Pastor
sat 5 oct
3.00pm Frontera dir. Manuel Pérez
5.30pm El cuerpo dir. Oriol Paulo
Followed by a Q&A with actress Aura Garrido
8.00pm On-stage interview with Jordi Mollà
Followed by the short Walter Peralta dir. Jordi Mollà
Jamón, jamón dir. Bigas Luna
sun 6 oct
4.30pm Els nens salvatges dir. Patricia Ferreira
Followed by a Q&A with the director
7.00pm The Labèque Way dir. Félix Cábez
Followed by a Q&A with the director
mon 7 oct
8.30pm Hijos de las nubes dir. Alvaro Longoria
tue 8 oct
6.15pm El amor no es lo que era dir. Gabriel Ochoa
8.15pm Fin dir. Jorge Torregrossa
Followed by a Q&A with actor Andrés Velencoso
wed 9 oct
6.15pm Hijos de las nubes dir. Alvaro Longoria
8.15pm Insensibles dir. Juan Carlos Medina
Followed by a Q&A with actor Alex Brendemühl
AT INSTITUTO CERVANTES
sat 28 sep 3.00pm Los ojos de la guerra dir. Roberto Lozano Bruna
Followed by a talk with the director
tue 1 oct 6.30pm Poetry reading. Machado.
fri 4 oct 6.30pm Otel.lo dir. Hammudi Al-Rahmoun Font
wed 9 oct 6.30pm A selection of shorts
FILMS
STOCKHOLM
dir. Rodrigo Sorogoyen, with Aura Garrido, Javier Pereira | Spain | 2013 | col | 90 min | cert. tba | In Spanish with English subtitles
UK premiere
One night at a party a man falls for a woman, but she initially rejects his advances. Finally she gives way, though, and they spend the night together. By night the woman finds him funny and charming, insistently declaring is love for her. However in the morning everything has changed: he's not the same. While at first it is simply a game of seduction, his conquest of the reluctant girl turns out to be a nightmarish defeat. A poignant script by Sorogoyen and Isabel Peña, with powerful acting by the young Garrido and Pereira, make this a superb film that will leave you challenged.
Followed by a Q&A with actress Aura Garrido and producer Borja Soler
fri 27 sep | 6.30pm | £10, conc. £8
THE EXTRAORDINARY TALE (OF THE TIMES TABLE)
dir. Laura Alvea, José F. Ortuño, with Ken Appledorn, Mari Paz Sayago | Spain | 2013 | col | 80 min |cert. tba | In English
UK premiere
A fresh version of the “boy meets girl” trope, this film is also an examination of the girl's obsessive-compulsive-disorder. The director's debut, this is a quirky comedy set in no particular place and in no particular time, in which the two protagonists find each other after one of the girl's many letters magically reaches the boy. Visually stunning, the film was inspired by artists Max Sauco and Jan Saudek, with beautiful photography and delightful costume design. The Extraordinary Tale is a dark, Amelie-style love story set in a Wes Anderson world, but filmed in exotic Seville.
Followed by a Q&A with director José F. Ortuño and the actress Aïda Ballmann
sat 28 sep | 6.45pm | £10, conc. £8
LOS MUNDOS SUTILES
Subtle Realms
dir. Eduardo Chapero Jackson, with Joaquín Abella, Amaia Pardo, Miguel Ballabriga | Spain | 2012 | col | doc | 85 min | cert. tba | In Spanish with English subtitles
UK premiere
One of the most respected poets in Spain and one of the leading figures in the literary movement known as the Generation of '98, Antonio Machado grew up in a country in decline, humiliated after losing its last colonies. However, he was inspired by the spirit of men of letters such as Rubén Darío and Oscar Wilde, who yearned to live an aesthetic existence in order to foreground the soul in the face of growing materialism. Through Machado's poems, Chapero Jackson leads us through the poet's life in an exceptional documentary, subtly mixing poetry and contemporary dance.
Followed by a Q&A with the director Eduardo Chapero Jackson and dancer Avatâra Ayuso led by Antonio Molina-Vázquez, Director of Spain Now!
wed 2 oct | 8.15pm | £10, conc. £8
LA BANDA PICASSO
Picasso's Gang
dir. Fernando Colomo, with Ignacio Mateos, Pierre Bénézit, Jordi Vilches, Stanley Weber, Raphaëlle Agogué | Spain | 2012 | col | 101 min | cert. tba | In French and Spanish with English subtitles
UK premiere
Take Picasso, Apollinaire, Manolo, Braque, Max Jacob and Gertrude Stein, and mix in the robbery of the 'Mona Lisa' from the Louvre. Together, the film presents a good-humoured view of the jealousies and intrigues between the characters. The exquisite recreation of Bohemian Paris helps to make this a highly entertaining film, which is only to be expected from Colomo, a Spanish director who is well known for his fresh, unpretentious comedies. The film also benefits from José Luis Alcaine's splendid photography.
Followed by a Q&A with director Fernando Colomo
thu 3 oct | 8.30pm | £10, conc. £8
MAPA
Map
dir. León Siminiani, with León Siminiani | Spain | 2012 | col | doc | 85 min | cert. PG | In Spanish with English subtitles
After losing his scriptwriting job for a TV channel, a series of fairly successful shorts and some unsuccessful attempts at feature films, the director takes us on a personal journey through his confused thoughts, ruminations, and search for real love, starting in the director's apartment in Madrid, and then to various places in Spain and on to India. A fictive documentary, with tinges of road movie, it is narrated in the first person with a subtle sense of humour and self-deprecation. The film is definitely an engaging trip.
Followed by a Q&A with the director
fri 4 oct | 6.15pm | £10, conc. £8
THE LABEQUE WAY
dir. Félix Cábez, with Alessandro Baricco, Marielle and Katia Labèque, Semyon Bychkov | Spain | 2012 | col | doc | 78 min | cert. PG | In English, Italian, French and Spanish with English subtitles
UK premiere
The legendary piano duo constituted by the French sisters Katia and Marielle Labèque goes beyond the boundaries between both classic and avant-garde music, and between European countries. Cábez follows the sisters through London, Valladolid and Rome by way of a letter sent to them by Italian writer Alessandro Baricco - a letter that marvels at their rapport, their ability to avoid labels and, of course, their prodigious talent. A beautiful documentary, produced by Pedro Almodóvar's El Deseo, it benefits from Cábez's talent, Baricco's sensuous writing, appearances by friends and collaborators such as Sir Simon Rattle and Semyon Bichkov, and the sisters' amazing performances.
Followed by a Q&A with the director, Félix Cábez
sun 6 oct | 7.00pm | £10, conc. £8
HIJOS DE LAS NUBES
Sons of the Clouds
dir. Alvaro Longoria, with Javier Bardem, Elena Anaya, Carlos Bardem, Manu Chao, Felipe González | Spain | 2012 | col | doc | 80 min | cert. tba | In Spanish, English and French with English subtitles
UK premiere
The process of decolonisation in Western Sahara in the 1970s left the Sahrawis - the original inhabitants of the area - living in refugee camps in the Algerian desert. The documentary examines how this situation came to pass, and why not enough has been done about it, following in the steps of Javier Bardem and other film professionals in its effort to attract the attentions of both the Spanish government and the UN. A powerful and poignant documentary, it states the consequences of irresponsible policies, and reveals how the dedication of an individual can help stave off despair, attracting attention to a forgotten issue.
mon 7 oct | 8.30pm | £12, conc. £10
wed 9 oct | 6.15pm | £10, conc. £8
EL AMOR NO ES LO QUE ERA
Love Is Not What It Used to Be
dir. Gabriel Ochoa, with Alberto San Juan, Aida Folch, Petra Martínez, Nicolás Coronado, Blanca Romero | Spain | 2013 | col | 89 min | cert. tba | In Spanish with English subtitles
UK premiere
A reflexion on the opportunites offered by love, El amor no es lo que era tells us three different love stories in a same city: a re-encounter between two old lovers, two youngsters trying to make a relationship work and two others whose life together does not make sense anymore. Playing with the mathematical principle of the hyperbola, for which two bodies will never go back to their point of origin, the director tries here to show the opportunities love and relationships give to go on or to change direction.
tue 8 oct | 6.15pm | £10, conc. £8
FIN
The End
dir. Jorge Torregrossa, with Daniel Grao, Maribel Verdú, Clara Lago, Andrés Velencoso, Blanca Romero | Spain | 2012 | col | 90 min | cert. tba | In Spanish with English subtitles
London premiere
The End starts with a reunion of old friends, now in their late 30s and early 40s, after a long time apart. Nothing seems to have changed between them, but a series of strange incidents in their remote mountain house bring to light an obscure episode that has been haunting them for years. Shot in Madrid and Valencia, this engaging thriller with a sci-fi streak is Torregrossa's first feature, as well as that of actor Andrés Velencoso, who is best known for his modelling career. Fascinating and enticing in turns, the film combines these debutants' vitality with the solid work of such well-established actors as Maribel Verdú, Daniel Grao, as well as scriptwriter Jorge Guerricaechevarría.