¡Enhorabuena!
Spanish cinema fans, you are in luck.
For the first time, the itinerant New Spanish Cinema Week will make a stop in town from Feb 10 through Feb 16 to showcase the latest and award-winning Spanish film productions from both emerging and established directors. The screenings will be held at the Vancity Theatre
The Vancouver film selection includes nine titles ranging from comedy to drama to documentary and a horror movie.
This year's tour include inine different ciities in U.S (including San Juan de Puerto Rico) and Canada. Vancouver marks the final destination for the New Spanish Cinema Week's 4th edition.
The New Spanish Cinema Week in Vancouver is organized by Pragda and local company Aja Entertainment -- specialized in promoting Iberoamerican films -- in partnership with the Vancity theatre.
Here some of the highlights:
Chico and Rita (Spain, UK). Directed by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal and Tono Errando. This meticulously crafted animated feature film -- a Goya (the Spanish Oscars) winner for best animated film, and a currently Academy Award nominee – is an homage to Cuban music. It’s 1948. In Havana City, Chico, a modest young pianist (Eman Xor Oña) falls for Rita Labelle (Limara Meneses), a gifted singer. They embark in a love affair, but as in those heart-rending boleros (Cuban ballads), adversity, heartache and many challenges will be thrown their way. Chico and Rita also features cameo appearances of musicians of the era such as the late Tito Puente. (Viewing advice: not for children.)
Bicycle, Spoon, Apple (Spain). This compelling and revealing documentary, directed by Carles Bosch, follows the daily life of ex -mayor and former president of the Government of Catalunya, Pasqual Maragall after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer in 2007. Bosch, who first met his subject during the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, captures Maragall's sheer determination, humour and wisdom to beat the disease with the support of his family. Bicycle, Spoon, Apple also focuses on interviews with doctors and scientists who offer a better understanding of Alzheimer and the latest researches in the fight against this illness that affects over 25 million people worldwide. With guest from the Alzheimer's Society of BC.
Elena and Lope de Vega in a scene of Lope.
Lope (Spain, Brazil) by Brazilian director Andrucha Waddington. A biopic of one the most important figures of the Spanish Literature Golden Age , the baroque playwright and poet Lope de Vega portrayed by the Argentinian actor, Alberto Amman (Cell 211). This ambitious production, set in the late 1500s, chronicles the life of a young and adventurous Lope the Vega and his torrid relationships with affluent two women: an ambicious Elena Osorio(Pilar López de Ayala) and a romantic Isabel de Urbina (Leonor Watling). The cast also includes Goya winner Luis Tosar (Cell 211) as Fray Bernardo, Antonio de la Torre as Juan and the acclaimed Brazilian actress, Sonia Braga who plays Paquita, Lope’s mother.
For complete listing and tickets, visit: www.viff.org