28°C
Partly cloudy
Fri
30°C
Sat
29°C
Sun
29°C

Powered by WeatherAPI.com

USD $1 ₱ 56.28 0.0000 March 27, 2024
March 26, 2024
3D Lotto 2PM
602
₱ 4,500.00
2D Lotto 9PM
3013
₱ 4,000.00

Enjoy Spanish Thrillers at the FDCP Cinematheque

Instituto Cervantes and the Embassy of Spain, in cooperation with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), present the film cycle “Spanish Thrillers”, a series of Spanish movies to be shown every Saturday in June at the FDCP Cinematheque.

Instituto Cervantes and the Embassy of Spain, in cooperation with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), present the film cycle “Spanish Thrillers”, a series of Spanish movies to be shown every Saturday in June at the FDCP Cinematheque.  

With the arrival of the Democracy to Spain in 1976, these thrillers reflect a fresh outlook brought about by a new generation of filmmakers. Thanks to their intriguing storyline, out-of-the-box concepts combined with clever acting and direction as well as a perfect execution, Spanish thrillers have won popularity worldwide. This film cycle is an opportunity to enjoy four gems of a genre that is booming in Spanish cinema.

The film series will kick-off on Saturday, 4 June at 4 p.m. with Tesis, a disturbing thriller about the depiction of violence by the media. Angela is a university student who is preparing a thesis on media violence. To complement her work, her adviser agrees to search the reserved area of the university library for material, but the next day he is found dead. Angela meets Chema, a fellow student and expert of gore and porn films, and Bosco, a strange boy and close friend of a young woman who was murdered in a snuff movie. Released in 1996, the opera prima of Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar garnered seven Goya Awards (Best Film and Best Script among them), and has become over the years a classic of the genre.

Enrique Urbizu’s La caja 507 (Box 507) will be the second installment of this film cycle. The movie, to be shown on June 11, at 4 p.m., is a gripping thriller with a social message, as well as a prime example of the film quality Spain is known for. 

Modesto, an honest and responsible professional, is a manager of a small bank branch in the Costa del Sol. His daughter dies in a forest fire that is believed to be accidental.  One day due to a robbery that takes place in the bank several safety-deposit boxes are pried open. Modesto mistakenly looks into one of the deposit boxes and stumbles across documents that prove that his daughter’s death was not an accident.  From that day on, he sets on a personal crusade for justice. A movie that is well-directed and acted, La caja 507 won several awards both in Spain and abroad, and enjoyed a very successful career at film festivals around the world.

Advertisement

Also directed by Enrique Urbizu, who has become a master of the genre, is No habrá paz para los malvados (No Rest for the Wicked).  This film will be shown on Saturday, 18 June, at 4 p.m.  The film, produced in 2011, tells the story of Santos Trinidad (played by José Coronado), a cop with an outstanding record but was relegated after an obscure incident that ruined his career and turned him into an alcoholic and angry loner. One night Santos finds himself implicated in a triple homicide in an after-hours club.   José Coronado’s monumental performance rewarded him several acting awards, as did Urbizu’s fine directing win him two Goyas as the Best Director and Best Screenplay. 

Directed by Jaume Balagueró in 2011, Mientras duermes (Sleep Tight) will close the film series on the 25th of June at 4 p.m. César works as a doorman in an apartment building in Barcelona. He goes about his day to day work mainly unnoticed by the residents of the building yet he pays close attention to them. He knows all the intimate details of their lives, everything about them and one in particular –Clara, a happy-go-lucky young woman, who always looks on the positive side of things, and whose cheery attitude to life makes Cesar’ skin crawl. In Clara he has found the perfect target, and he will go to extreme lengths to make her life miserable. An artistic and commercial success,Mientras duermes enjoyed quite a success in film festivals worldwide, receiving more than 30 awards and nominations.

All films will be shown in original version in Spanish with English subtitles. The screenings will take place at the Cinematheque of FDCP, at 855 T. M. Kalaw Street, Ermita, Manila. Time: 4 p.m.ADMISSION is FREE on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information please log on toInstituto Cervantes’ website www.manila.cervantes.es or  www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila,  or call (63 2) 526-1482. 

Share the story

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recent Posts

Hot Off the Press