La vida que te espera

(Your Next Life)

A film

directed by

Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

Synopsis

In the idyllic hills and valleys of a region in northern Spain, a fight to the death ensues: Gildo (Juan Diego) kills his neighbor Severo (Celso Bugallo). The motive is an argument over a lovely fat milk cow.

But there are more than just cows in the deep Pas Valley. Young women like Genia (Clara Lago) long for a good pair of hiking boot, and learn belly dancing. Val (Marta Etura) and Genia are Gildo’s daughters. One works from sunup to sundown, while the other goes to school.

Rai (Luis Tosar), the victim’s son, comes to his father’s funeral. Rai feels attracted to Val, the daughter of his father’s murderer.

Val starts dating Rai, giving into his romantic impulses, as instructed by her father, who wants to find out how much Rai knows about the homicide and who committed it.

Rai also hopes to learn something about his father’s death from Val.

Little by little, their investigative intentions turn into real love, a love that is a threat to everyone.

Cast

GildoJUAN DIEGO

RaiLUIS TOSAR

ValMARTA ETURA

GeniaCLARA LAGO

SeveroCELSO BUGALLO

ParrondoVÍCTOR CLAVIJO

Parish PriestXOSÉ M. OLVEIRA “PICO”

MarinoJOSÉ LUIS BERNAL “FARRUCO”

RafaelREI CHAO

PacoALFONSO AGRA

MilagrosROSA ÁLVAREZ

Waiter at “México”SANTI PREGO

Chief HairstylistMANUEL MILLÁN

Customer at the Hairdresser’sLAURA SILVA

Friend 1LAURA BUENO

Civil Guard 1TASIO FERNÁNDEZ

Crew

DirectorMANUEL GUTIÉRREZ ARAGÓN

ScreenplayÁNGELES GONZÁLEZ-SINDE

MANUEL GUTIÉRREZ ARAGÓN

ProducersGERARDO HERRERO

PANCHO CASAL

Executive ProducerGERARDO HERRERO

Associate ProducerCARMEN DE MIGUEL

Director of PhotographyGONZALO BERRIDI

EditorJOSÉ SALCEDO

MusicXAVIER CAPELLAS

Art DirectorFÉLIX MURCIA

Production ManagerJOSEAN GÓMEZ

Sound EngineerMARK VAN DER WILLIGEN

Sound EditorsRAÚL LASVIGNES

MANUEL LAGUNA

Sound MixJOSÉ ANTONIO BERMÚDEZ

Assistant Director and CastingCARLOS GRAS

Costume DesignerESTÍBALIZ MARKIEGI

Hair StylistJUAN CARLOS RODRÍGUEZ

Make-upALMUDENA FONSECA

TECHNICAL DATA

Color - 35 mm

Screen Ratio: 1:1,85

Sound: Dolby Digital

Length in meters: 2.994 m

Production Year: 2003

Nationality: Spain

Running Time: 1 h 48 min

Language: Original in Spanish

"All Tornasol and Continental productions are registered at EGEDA"

A TORNASOL FILMS, CONTINENTAL PRODUCCIONES and TELEVISIÓN DE GALICIA, S.A. Production

With the participation of TELEVISIÓN ESPAÑOLA, CANAL+, TVG, S.A.

With collaboration from the XUNTA DE GALICIA and the GOBIERNO DE CANTABRIA

With financing from the INSTITUTO DE CRÉDITO OFICIAL

Distributed in Spain by

ALTA CLASSICS GRUPO ALTA FILMS

Cuesta de San Vicente, 4

28008 Madrid

Tel.: +34 915422702

Fax: +34 915428777

International Sales

LATIDO FILMS

Sales: Massimo Saidel

Mobile: +33 620827305

Madrid Office: María García-Castrillón,

International Sales Coordinator

Mobile: +34 665528034

C/ Veneras, 9, 6ª

28013 Madrid

Tel.: +34 915488877

Fax: +34 915488878

Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

(Director and Co-Screenplay Writer)

Born in Torrelavega, Cantabria, he studied Philosophy and Letters at the Complutense University of Madrid and in 1970, he graduated as a director from the Official Film School of Madrid.

FILMOGRAPHY

2003LA VIDA QUE TE ESPERA

2002El caballero don Quijote

Premio Ciudad de Roma, Festival de Venecia 2002

2001Visionarios

1997Cosas que dejé en La Habana

Espiga de Plata, Seminci de Valladolid

1994El rey del río

Festival de Berlín

1991Don Quijote (para televisión)

Premio de Eurovisión

Gran Premio, Festival de Cine de Cannes

1988Malaventura

1986La mitad del cielo

Concha de Oro, Festival de San Sebastián

Mejor Película, Festival de Sidney

Mejor Película, Festival de Nantes

1984La noche más hermosa

Festivales de Montreal, Miami, Chicago y Cannes

1983Feroz

Seleccionada para la sección Un Certain Regard, Festival de Cine de Cannes

1982Demonios en el jardín

Premio de la Crítica Internacional, Festival de San Sebastián

Premio France 3, Quincena de Realizadores de Cannes

Premio de la Crítica, Festival de Cine de Moscú

Premio David de Donatello

Mejor Película, Asociación de Críticos de Nueva York

1980Maravillas

Hugo de Plata, Festival de Cine de Chicago

1978El corazón del bosque

Mejor Película Española del Año

1977Camada negra

Oso de Plata a la Mejor Dirección, Festival de Berlín

Sonámbulos

Concha de Plata a la Mejor Dirección, Festival de San Sebastián

1973 Habla, mudita

Premio de la Crítica Internacional, Festival de Berlín

Finalista para el Oscar a la Mejor Película en Lengua No Inglesa

He has taken part in writing numerous screenplays, including the scripts for the following films: Las truchas (1974), by José Luis García Sánchez, winner of the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival; Furtivos (1975), by José Luis Borau, winner of the Golden Shell Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival; and Las largas vacaciones del 36 (1975), by Jaime Camino.

Ángeles González-Sinde

(Co-Screenplay Writer)

FILMOGRAFÍA

(como guionista)

2003LA VIDA QUE TE ESPERA, de Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

La suerte dormida, de Ángeles González-Sinde (coguionista y directora)

El misterio Galíndez, de Gerardo Herrero

2002La puta y la ballena, de Luis Puenzo (en producción)

Entre vivir y soñar, de Menkes y Albacete (en producción)

2000Las razones de mis amigos, de Gerardo Herrero

2001Antigua vida mía, de Héctor Olivera

1999Segunda piel, de Gerardo Vera

1998Lágrimas negras, de Ricardo Franco y Fernando Bauluz

1997La buena estrella, de Ricardo Franco

Director’s Remarks

The setting

This story unfolds in the green Pas Valley in the north of Spain. A place that is both mythical and real, the thousand-year-old village seems lost in time. However, it really does exist and that is where two attractive young sisters live: Genia and Val. Val does all the hard work on their farm: she milks the cows, cooks the meals, sweeps, and washes the dishes. In contrast, her younger sister Genia goes to school, although instead of studying she spends her time practicing belly dancing, which is quite popular among young people. It’s impressive to see Genia belly dancing in this dark, remote valley. But their father, Gildo, does not find it admirable. He is a typical quiet, astute man of the Pas region. A widower, as head of household, he makes his daughters work hard.

At the start of the 21st century, the inhabitants of the Pas region maintain centuries-old traditions: dairy contests. And the rivalry between Gildo and his neighbor is long-standing.

During an argument about cattle-raising, Gildo kills his neighbor.

But not everyone in the Pas region keeps up the old ways: Rai, the murdered man’s son, is a hairstylist in the city, having escaped from the harsh and archaic valley.

Rai returns to the valley for his father’s funeral, where he meets Val, the young daughter of the presumed murderer of his father. But who really killed his father? Rai wants to find out and he dates Val solely to worm the truth out of her. And Val dates Rai to worm the truth out of him, solely on the orders of her fierce father.

Little by little, love grows between Val and Rai.

A microcosm

LA VIDA QUE TE ESPERA (YOUR NEXT LIFE) takes place in a microcosm of parents, children and neighboring families. The narrow valley the characters live and work in brings them into close contact with each other. A crime where everyone thinks they know who the perpetrator is but no one says a word serves to poison the characters’ lives even more.

They are at cross-purposes: the father sends his daughter, Val, to get the truth out of Rai, the victim’s son. What does he know? Why has he returned to the valley? Val obeys her father. But the more she sees of Rai, the more they begin to love each other.

And then the balance shifts: Gildo becomes jealous.

The silence

In these valleys, there is something everybody knows but nobody says. The relationships of our main characters seem to be governed by their parents’ motto: “What is never said, never happened.”

The valley’s great distance from the city, the way the houses in the Pas region are isolated from each other, the lack of electricity in many of them, of bathrooms, of the basic comforts, have made the people isolated, haughty and silent in nature.

Val and Rai seem to want to escape from this circle. But what ties them to it is stronger than they think.

Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

The actors

Juan Diego

(Gildo)

FILMOGRAFÍA

(selección)

2003LA VIDA QUE TE ESPERA, de Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

El juego de Arcibel, de Alberto Lecchi

Noviembre, de Achero Mañas

Torremolinos 73, de Pablo Berger

2002Una pasión singular, de Antonio Gonzalo

2001La Virgen de la Lujuria, de Arturo Ripstein

Smoking Room, de Julio Wallovits y Roger Gual

2000Padre Coraje, de Benizo Zambrano (para televisión)

You’re the One (Una historia de entonces), de José Luis Garci

2000Fugitivas, de Miguel Hermoso

1999París-Tombuctú, de Luis García Berlanga

1998Yerma, de Pilar Távora

1991Cabeza de Vaca, de Nicolás Echevarría

El rey pasmado, de Imanol Uribe

1991La noche más larga, de José Luis García Sánchez

1988La noche oscura, de Carlos Saura

1988Pasodoble, de José Luis García Sánchez

1987Los negros también comen, de Marco Ferreri

1986 El viaje a ninguna parte, de Fernando Fernán-Gómez

1986Dragón Rapide, de Jaime Camino

1985La corte de Faraón, de José Luis García Sánchez

1984Los santos inocentes, de Mario Camus

1977La criatura, de Eloy de la Iglesia

1976Colorín colorado, de José Luis García Sánchez

1969El demonio de los celos, de Ettore Scola

Algo amargo en la boca, de Eloy de la Iglesia

1966Los flamencos, de Jesús Yagüe

Luis Tosar

(Rai)

FILMOGRAFÍA

2003LA VIDA QUE TE ESPERA, de Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

Te doy mis ojos, de Iciar Bollain

(Concha de Plata al Mejor Actor, Festival de San Sebastián)

Trece campanadas, de Xavier Villaverde

La flaqueza del bolchevique, de Manuel Martín Cuenca

2002Los lunes al sol, de Fernando León de Aranoa

(Premio Goya al Mejor Actor de Reparto)

Sin noticias de Dios, de Agustín Díaz Yanes

2001Lena, de Gonzalo Tapia

Visionarios, de Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

2000Amores que matan, de Iciar Bollain

Besos para todos, de Jaime Chávarri

La Comunidad, de Álex de la Iglesia

Sé quién eres, de Patricia Ferreira

Leo, de José Luis Borau

1999Celos, de Vicente Aranda

Flores de otro mundo, de Iciar Bollain

1998Atilano presidente, de La Cuadrilla

Marta Etura

(Val)

FILMOGRAFÍA

2003LA VIDA QUE TE ESPERA, de Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

Trece campanadas, de Xavier Villaverde

Mariposas de fuego, de Luis Prieto (cortometraje)

2002La vida de nadie, de Eduard Cortés

Trece campanadas, de Xavier Villaverde

2002El caballero don Quijote, de Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

2001Sin vergüenza, de Joaquín Oristrell

Clara Lago

(Genia)

FILMOGRAFÍA

2003LA VIDA QUE TE ESPERA, de Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

2002El viaje de Carol, de Imanol Uribe

2000Terca vida, de Fernando Huertas

Celso Bugallo

(Severo)

FILMOGRAFÍA

2003LA VIDA QUE TE ESPERA, de Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

2002Los lunes al sol, de Fernando León de Aranoa

2000La lengua de las mariposas, de José Luis Cuerda

The production companies

TORNASOL

FILMOGRAFÍA

(selección)

2003Nubes de verano, de Felipe Vega

El principio de Arquímedes, de Gerardo Herrero

LA VIDA QUE TE ESPERA, de Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

La suerte dormida, de Ángeles González-Sinde

El misterio Galíndez, de Gerardo Herrero

Aunque estés lejos, de Juan Carlos Tabío

2002Lugares comunes, de Adolfo Aristarain

El alquimista impaciente, de Patricia Ferreira

2001El hijo de la novia, de Juan José Campanella

Sin vergüenza, de Joaquín Oristrell

2000El otro barrio, de Salvador García Ruiz

Plata quemada, de Marcelo Piñeyro

Lista de espera, de Juan Carlos Tabío

El corazón del guerrero, de Daniel Monzón

1999 El Coronel no tiene quien le escriba, de Arturo Ripstein

1998My Name is Joe (Mi nombre es Joe), de Ken Loach

1997Martín (Hache), de Adolfo Aristarain

1996Éxtasis, de Mariano Barroso

1995 Guantanamera, de Tomás Gutiérrez Alea y Juan Carlos Tabío

Land and Freedom (Tierra y Libertad), de Ken Loach

1988La boca del lobo, de Francisco Lombardi

CONTINENTAL PRODUCCIONES

FILMOGRAFÍA

(selección)

2003LA VIDA QUE TE ESPERA, de Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

El misterio Galíndez, de Gerardo Herrero

2002Trece campanadas, de Xavier Villaverde

Los lunes al sol, de Fernando León de Aranoa

El alquimista impaciente, de Patricia Ferreira

2000Sé quién eres, de Patricia Ferreira

1999Cuando vuelvas a mi lado, de Gracia Querejeta

1998Finisterre, de Xavier Villaverde

Frontera Sur, de Gerardo Herrero

1996Inés de Portugal, de Héctor João de Oliveira

1989Continental, de Xavier Villaverde

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