Stage Buzz:Films: Spanish

Experience the best of Spanish Film by attending the 4th annual
Spanish Film Festival from the 16th to the 26th of March in New Delhi,
Hyderabad and Chennai! All tickets for the New Delhi screenings can
be picked up at no charge from the India Habitat Center's reception on
Lodi Road, New Delhi.

Las 13 Rosas (13 Roses)

Director: Emilio Martínez-Lázaro

Produced by: Pedro Costa & Enrique Cerezo

Duration: 100 min

As Franco’s army enters Madrid in April 1939, the Spanish Civil War comes to an end. The end of the War brings fear of retaliation and several flee.

However, a group of young girls remain in Spain and experience Franco’s retaliation first-hand. They were arrested one month after the end of the war. Some of them, just teenagers were charged with an attempt on Franco’s life. Some days before their trial, their fate was decided without evidence. Three people are assassinated in a terrorist attack and in 48 hours thirteen of the girls are condemned to death and executed by firing squad in retribution.

Find yourself gripped with the realities of war as you follow these girls through an unimaginable and heart wrenching story.

Emilio Martínez-Lázaro

A reputed filmmaker, Emilio Martínez-Lázaro has made more than ten feature films as a director.

He made his first short film, Circunstancias del Milagro (The Circumstances of the Miracle), in 1968; re-edited in 1972 and retitled El Camino del Cielo (The Road to Heaven), it was shown at several international film festivals. He made his first feature, Pastel de Sangre (Blood Cake), in 1971. Martínez-Lázaro has also directed numerous television series and is established as a noted screenwriter.

Martínez-Lázaro's 1978 film Las Palabras de Max (What Max Said) shared a Golden Bear at Berlin Film Festival with García Sánchez's La Trucha (The Trout). He also directed two of the most popular Spanish comedies of the last years “El otro lado de la cama (The other side of the bed) in 2002 and “Los dos lados de la cama” (The 2 sides of the bed) in 2005

Miguel y William (Miguel and William)

Director: Inés París

Produced by: Miguel Y William P.C.

Duration: 102 min

As the greatest authors of their time, William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes meet in a battle for love... a battle to win the heart of the saucy young Leonor!

Rivalry between the sensual, mature Spaniard and the bristling young hothead from England escalates when Leonor wants a stage play from both men. A stage play for her wedding as she is set to marry the Duke of Obando. But when Leonor gets caught in a classic ‘stolen-broach’ intrigue, Will and Miguel overcome their differences and put on a comedy that saves Leonor’s life and ultimately ensures her happiness.

What nearly ended as a tragedy convalesces into a happy ending emulating Shakespeare’s words: ‘All’s well that ends well!’

Inés París

Working extensively as a script writer for TV and Cinema, Inés París studied Philosophy at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid and also Drama and Stage Direction.

Her first feature film, My mother likes women, co-directed with Daniela Ferjerman, was released in 2001. Miguel & William is her third film as director and writer.

She is currently the president of CIMA (Women Filmmaker & Media Association).

Yo (Me)

Director: Rafa Cortés

Produced by: Fausto Producciones, S.L., La Perifèrica Produccions

Duration: 100 min

A village in Majorca, a new German worker, an unspoken suspicion, and a job to hang on to.

"Yo" is the story of a man who, feeling accused of something he hasn't done, sets out to prove his innocence. In every attempt to correct this seemingly false accusation, he comes closer and closer to the real cause of his problem: himself.

Follow this path of self-discovery as “yo” reveals the truth hiding within the accused.

Rafa Cortés,

Director and Screenwriter, Rafa Cortés started directing short films, commercials and music videos while working as an assistant director in Spain. Together with actor Alex Brendemühl Cortés he wrote his first feature film, Yo (Me). From its release in 2007, Yo has been invited to over 100 festivals worldwide and has received awards including FIPRESCI's ‘Revelation of the Year’ at Cannes Film Festival among others. Rafa Cortés is currently developing Dakota, his second feature.

Ladrones (Thieves)

Director: Jaime Marqués

Produced by: José Ibáñez

Duration: 101 min

Stealing was all Alex knew. It was all his mother taught him before she was arrested and he was left to grow up in an orphanage. Now at the age of eighteen, he has little chance to start a new, honest life.

Alone, he walks a blurry line of social decency until he meets Sara, an average teenager with a boyfriend, a family and a future. When Alex’s talents crash into her simple life, an exciting world of conspiratorial winks and secret signals is discovered.

Enter into the life of a thief and find out if another truth is buried behind each signal. Is the deal Alex made with Sara purely professional? Or are they more than just a team of thieves?

Jaime Marqués

Jaime Marqués studied Audio-visual Communications at the Ciencias de la Información y Dirección Cinematográfica College at Escuela de Artes Visuales in Madrid. He has written and directed the short film Los que quedan atrás. He also worked on the scripts of several feature films like Adiós, tiburón (1996), Noche de Reyes (2001) and Manolito Gafotas (1998). As a filmmaker he has directed several successful short films: Abierto (el eco del tiempo) (1997) and El paraíso perdido (1999) that was a nominee to the Goya Awards 1999.

Thieves is his first feature film as a director.

La Torre de Suso (Suso's Tower)

Director: Tom Fernandez

Produced by: Mediapro

Duration: 100 min

Cundo returns home after a ten years absence to mourn the death of his best friend, Suso. Cundo's plans for his return home were simple: an evening of drinking to Suso's health with old friends, pretending that everything in his life is perfect and leaving town as soon as possible.

However, Cundo’s plan is side tracked as his past catches up with him. He finds it difficult to convince his parents and friends that he is no longer the irresponsible dissolute he used to be. Unexpectedly, Cundo discovers that Suso also left his life with unfinished business. His last dream was to build a wooden tower in his place: to enable one to climb to the top and see things from a higher perspective. Cundo and his friends realize a final opportunity to do something together in the spirit of friendship.

Enjoy this coming of age film and realize the importance of a man’s roots and the inescapable nature of a man’s past.

Tom Fernández

Tom Fernández wrote and directed two short films: Es todo un poco absurdo, ¿no? (1995) and Los huracanes, el surf y los sioux (1996). In 1998, he began working as a script writer for the production company Globomedia. He has also worked as playwright and theatre director.

La Torre de Suso is his first feature film.

LOS CRÍMENES DE OXFORD (The Oxford Murders)

Director: Álex de la Iglesia

Produced by: Álvaro Augustín, Gerardo Herrero

Duration: 108 min

An old woman’s murder at Oxford University brings together two strangers when they discover her body: Arthur Seldom, a prestigious professor of logic and Martin - a young graduate student.

When the professor and student realize that this is the first of a series of murders, they join forces to try and crack the serial killer’s methods. What continues is the unfolding of an elaborate puzzle in which nothing is as it seems, and the truth is elusive.

Watch as Martin gets closer to the facts and feels increasingly insecure with his grasp on the world around him!

Álex de la Iglesia

Acknowledging Alex Raymond, Stan Lee and Vázquez as his spiritual fathers, Alex de la Iglesia studied at Deusto University where he spent most of the time at the bar and in the film society.

His first and only short film as co-writer and director, Mirindas asesinas (1991), convinced the production company, El Deseo, to sponsor his first feature film, Mutant Action (1993) which won three Spanish Academy Awards (Goya awards).

His film, The day of the Beast (1995), won six Spanish Academy Awards and many international prizes, and his films Dance with the Devil (1997) and Dying of Laughter marked a turning point in his meteoric career. From then on he became his own producer.

Oxford Murders (2007), a classic thriller, is his last film to the date.

Siete mesas de billar francés (Seven Billiard Tables)

Director: Gracia Querejeta

Produced by: Elías Querejeta, Ensueño Films and Enrique Cerezo P.C.

Duration: 113 min

When everything around us seems to be falling apart the only solution we find is to rebuild. Follow Angela’s path to reconstruction as she deals with the death of her father and the disappearance of her husband. Watch as her painful reality provides her with the courage to put her father’s failing business back together and rebuild the hall with seven billiard tables.

Gracia Querejeta

With a Bachelor of Arts in Geography & History from Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Gracia Querejeta has worked in several film crafts. She has worked as an actor, writer and co-director until debuting in direction with her first feature film, A Passing Season.

After writing and directing the documentary El Trabajo De Rodar (1993), she returned to fiction with El Último Viaje de Robert Rylands (1995). In 1997 she directed the first episode, ‘Di Stefano’ of the series The Match of the Century.

In 2004 she co-wrote and directed Héctor.

LA HABITACIÓN DE FERMAT (FERMAT’S ROOM)

Director: Luis Piedrahita & Rodrigo Sopeña

Produced by: Adolfo Blanco, José María Irisarri, César Benítez

Duration: 87 min

Four mathematicians, strangers, are invited by a mysterious host on the pretext of resolving the greatest enigma of their time. When a minute goes by and the problem remains unsolved, the walls start to move and the room begins to shrink.

The room in which they find themselves turns out to be a death-trap that will crush them if they do not discover what connects them all and why someone might wish to murder them.

With a brilliant mix of mystery and suspense, challenge your problem solving skills and experience Fermat’s Room!

Luis Piedrahita & Rodrigo Sopeña

Young but experienced scriptwriters and directors, Luis Piedrahita & Rodrigo Sopeña are part of the team behind several successful Spanish television shows. Fermat’s Room is their first feature film.

14 Kilometres (14 Kilometers)

Director: Gerardo Olivares

Produced by: José María Morales

Duration: 95 min

Ambitiously re-creating the journey from west Sub-Saharan Africa to Spain by three would-be immigrants, 14 Kilometers follows Violeta, Buba and Mukela in their route towards a new life.

Follow these three across the pitiless expanse of the Tenere desert in an honest portrayal of physical and psychological stress. Discover the horrors of their journey as they prepare for the final 14 kilometers into Europe and find out what happens when they come into contact with the men controlling their fate!

Gerardo Olivares

One of Spain’s most renowned documentary filmmakers, Gerardo Olivares founded Transglobe Films, the first Spanish production company to focus on documentary filmmaking.

His documentaries include: The Third Planet I – II, The Last Paradises, Tibet: Freedom in Exile and Famine in the World for My Son.

His feature film debut was The Great Match (2006). His last film, 14 Kilometers (2007), won the Golden Spike award at the Film Festival in Valladolid. Sub-Saharan immigration is also the topic of his upcoming feature documentary, Welcome to Paradise.

SCREENING SCHEDULE

Las 13 rosas, (13 Roses) (Drama)

Director: Emilio Martínez- Lázaro.

Produced by: Pedro Costa & Enrique Cerezo.

Year of Release: 2007

Running Time: 100 Minutes

Delhi: 16^th Mar. 09 at 7:00pm

Hyderabad: 20^th Mar. 09 at 7:30pm

Miguel y William (Miguel & William) (Comedy)

Director: Inés París

Produced by: Miguel Y William P.C.

Year of Release: 2007

Running Time: 102 minutes

Delhi: 18^th Mar. 09 at 6:30pm

Hyderabad: 21^st Mar. 09 at 9:30am

Ladrones (Thieves) (Drama)

Director: Jaime Marqués

Produced by: José Ibáñez

Year of Release: 2007

Running Time 101 minutes

Delhi: 17^th Mar. 09 at 6:30pm

Yo (Me), (Drama)

Director: Rafa Cortés

Produced by: Fausto Producciones, S.L., La Perifèrica Produccions

Escándalo Films

Year of Release: 2007

Running Time: 100 minutes

Delhi: 17^th Mar. 09 at 9:00pm

La torre de Suso (Suso’s Tower) (Drama)

Director: Tom Fernández

Produced by: Mediapro

Year of Release: 2007

Running Time 100 minutes

Delhi: 18^th Mar. 09 at 9:00pm

Hyderabad: 21^st Mar. 09 at 11:30am

Los crímenes de Oxford (The Oxford Murders) (Thriller)

Director: Alex de la Iglesia

Produced by: Alvaro Augustín, Gerardo Herrero

Year of Release 2008

Running Time 108 minutes

Delhi: 19^th Mar. 09 at 6:30pm

Hyderabad: 22^nd Mar. 09 at 11:45am

Siete mesas de billar francés, (Seven Billiard Tables) (Drama)

Director: Gracia Querejeta

Produced by: Elías Querejeta, Ensueño Films, Enrique Cerezo P.C.

Year of Release: 2006

Running Time: 113 minutes

Delhi: 19^th Mar. 09 at 9:00pm

Hyderabad: 22^nd Mar. 09 at 9:30am

La habitación de Fermat (Fermat’s Room) (Thriller)

Director: Luis Piedrahita y Rodrigo Sopeña

Produced by: Adolfo Blanco, José María Irisarri, César Benítez

Year of Release: 2007

Running Time: 87 minutes

Delhi: 20^th Mar. 09 at 6:30pm

Hyderabad: 22^nd Mar. 09 2:00pm

14 Kilómetros (14 Kilometers) (Drama)

Director: Gerardo Olivares

Produced by: José María Morales

Year of Release: 2007

Running Time: 95 mintues

Delhi: 20^th Mar. 09 at 9:00pm

For more information:

Delhi – Call: +91 – 011 – 26011430-32

Email: teamworkfilms@teamworkfilms.com

Website: www.teamworkfilms.com

Hyderabad – Call: +91 – 40 – 27171528

98 – 49160105

Spain – Call: +34 – 983 – 228711

Email: info@casadelaindia.org

Website: www.casadelaindia.org