Instituto Cervantes presents a film cycle on family matters
MANILA, Philippines - Instituto Cervantes, in cooperation with the Embassy of Spain and the Film Archives of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), presents the film cycle Familia, a series of Spanish films to be shown during the Saturdays of November at the Instituto Cervantes theater.
This film cycle presents several approaches of the Spanish film industry to this institution.
The cycle will kick off on Nov. 8 at 2pm, with one of the masterpieces of contemporary Spanish cinema — the surrealistic comedy Familia, directed by Fernando León de Aranoa in 1996. It relates the story of a lonely man who organizes a surprise birthday party in his honor with professional actors featuring the members of his own family.
The movie was presented at the 1996 Valladolid Film Festival where it bagged the Audience Award, the Best New Director Award and was nominated for the Golden Spike (Best Film). It also garnered the Best Film Award at the 1997 Miami Hispanic Film Festival. Finally, thanks to this work, León de Aranoa won the Goya Award to the Best New Director in 1998.
The film cycle features three films tackling some of the issues of contemporary Spanish society, such as family values, love, or marriage.
The well-acted and poignant drama Solas (Benito Zambrano, 1999) will be shown on Nov. 15, at 2 pm.
Un novio para Yasmina, a film directed by Irene Cardona in 2008, is a romantic comedy about the imbroglio that arises when emotional dilemmas, star-crossed relationships and the unpredictable effects of love bring havoc to a group of friends. The movie will be shown at Instituto Cervantes’ Salón de Actos on Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.
Directed by Mar Coll in 2009, Tres días con la familia will conclude the film cycle on Nov. 29. The movie focuses on Lea, who is compelled to return unexpectedly to Girona as her grandfather has recently passed away. There, she will meet up with her family, whom she hasn’t seen since she left to go abroad.
The screenings will take place at the Salón de Actos of Instituto Cervantes, 855 T.M. Kalaw, Ermita, Manila. Entrance is free on a first-come, first-served basis. For information, visit www.manila.cervantes.es or www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila, or call 526-1482.
