Spanish horror! Instituto Cervantes screens eight scary films that span half a century....

Instituto Cervantes (IC), New York's hot spot for Spanish culture, has just begun quite a nifty (and unusual for IC) series of horror movies from Spain that range in time-frame from the 1960s through the current decade. The series -- Spanish Horror Films -- has been curated by José Luis Rebordinos, founder of the Horror Film Festival in San Sebastian and editor of Nosferatu magazine.

Señor Rebordinos has selected eight of his preferred horror films to delight IC patrons over the next eight weeks. (Unfortunately, news of this series reached TrustMovies only today, and the first film in the bunch -- the very frightening Thesis, staring one of Spain's sexiest imports, Eduardo Noriega -- was already shown this past Wednesday evening. The other seven films, however, remain on the horizon.)

Notes Rebordinos, “I had two possibilities: selecting eight unknown thrillers that I really liked or choosing eight films that represent the different ways the Spanish horror genre has been recognized with-in last two decades. I opted for the latter. For some Spanish horror film lovers, these will be well-known. For many others who are not familiar with this film genre, the films will prove a surprise treat”.

I can second Rebordinos' opinion, having seen five of the eight films being shown -- and as the other three come with plentiful bona fides, I shall make it a point to be there to view them. Here's the schedule, below, for the remaining films: Click on each title link to learn more and/or see further details about that film. For the address of IC click here and scroll way down. (Yes, this storied organization has perhaps the worst web site in the world: Shame!)

Oh, and one final thing:  As I understand it, these films will be shown free of charge, which makes this a very good deal indeed....

Who Can Kill a Child?
Wednesday, January 23, at 6pm
This nasty little masterpiece of horror from Narciso Ibañez Serrador in 1976 is considered a classic of the genre. It holds up remarkably well, and though its theme of kids-gone-bad has been done many times since, and may have come close to being done as well, it has still never been bettered.

Bilbao
Wednesday, January 30,
at 6pm
I had not even heard of this film until now -- which, so far as I can tell, was never released here in the USA -- but since its director Bigas Luna is a filmmaker whose work I generally enjoy, I very much want to check it out. Made in 1978, at the beginning of the post-Franco era of freedom for film (and everything else -- except the wealthy and fascist-minded), this should be unusual, and unusually sexual, too, I suspect. (A still from this film is shown, third from top.)

The Day of the Beast 
shown Wednesday, February 6, at 6pm
This early film from Alex de la Iglesia is not available in the USA on DVD, so far as I know -- which makes my visit to IC a must. Since this one, the talented filmmaker has made a number of other fine films, so I would think that catching up with his early work is a must for completists. It certainly will be for me. (A still from this film is shown, fourth from top.)

The Nameless
Wednesday, February 13, at 6pm
Still one of my favorite Spanish horror films of all time, this is also one of the darkest and most transgressive -- particularly for a country whose roots are buried deep in Catholicism. Beautifully woven and surprisingly subtle, the film upends so many of our notions of the appropriate that it remains in a class by itself -- while still conforming to the guidelines of its genre. This is a masterpiece, of sorts. (A still from it is shown at top of post.)

The Orphanage
Wednesday, February 20,
at 6pm
I was not as big a fan of this film as were many. It's lovely to look at and well-done -- up to a point. But although a big box-office success in Spain and elsewhere, the movie seems to me to be trying too hard to move us, rather than scare us. I love it when a film manages both -- but not when you are quite so aware of the wheels grinding. Still, Belén Rueda, in the lead role, is always a pleasure to watch. (A still from this film is shown, second from top.)

[REC]
Wednesday, February 27, at 6pm
This is the film that we have to thank for the current zombies-run-rampant-via-hand-held-video (that includes 3 RECs, two American spin-offs, and countless other would-be horror films). Some critics think REC reanimated the zombie genre. It may have helped but it was not until [REC] 3 to that this series really took off. The original proved some fun at the time, but does not hold up as well as it might, given what we've now seen come down the pike.

The Awful Dr. Orloff
Wednesday, March 6, at 6pm
Directed by Jesús Franco in 1962, this is considered to be the first Spanish horror movie. I've never seen it -- though it sounds a lot like Franju's Eyes Without a Face, made the year previous. Movie-makers, god knows, have never been above ripping each other off. In any case, I'll be visiting IC at this screening, for sure.

The photos above are from posters of, 

or stills from, the films themselves; 

the photo at top--from The Nameless--

comes courtesy of MovieScreenShot.com

Spanish Cinema Now, 2012 edition, arrives today at NYC's FSLC & Instituto Cervantes

The Film Society of Lincoln Center's 21st edition of SPANISH CINEMA NOW, from today,  December 7 through the 16, is here. Opening night kicks off with Pablo Berger’s Blancanieves, Spain’s official entry for the 2013 Oscars and closing night wraps with Álvaro Longoria’s documentary Sons of the Clouds, featuring Javier Bardem. In between are 18 new films from Spain in just about every genre you can muster up. Also on the program is a salute to the surrealist master Luis Buñuel, which will split its time between the Film Society and Instituto Cervantes.

TrustMovies has so far seen only three of the films, each one of which plays today: Blancanieves, (above), a new silent-film version of the Snow White story, Spanish style; Chrysalis, (shown at top) which details the situation of three Spanish women in differing time periods; and A Cold Call (A puerta fría) a short, honest narrative film starring terrific Spanish actor Antonio Dechent (below) that offers a sad/angry obituary for today's Capitalism and those who toil therein. If the rest of the films are anywhere near the level of these three, we're in for another grand series.

While most of the attractions will play at Lincoln Center, Instituto Cervantes New York will also be hosting lectures and special screenings to celebrate Buñuel from  December 11 through 14. In addition, this year’s diverse selection of Spanish shorts, ShortMetraje (below, presented by Pragda), is celebrating its 10th anniversary and includes a wide array of unique short films from emerging Spanish filmmakers.

Below is a brief description of each film (or program), courtesy of the FSLC's publicity department -- so you can quickly get a sense of what each offers -- followed by the complete public-screening schedule.

Discount single screening tickets are available for students, seniors, Film Society and Cervantes Institute members. Everyone can enjoy a Special Three-Film Discount Package! More ticket information information, as well as info on each individual film, is available here. Screenings will be held at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater (located at 165 West 65th Street, between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway), unless otherwise noted.

2012 Spanish Cinema Now -- 

films and descriptions

Animals (2011) 100m Director: Marçal Forés
Pol is a seemingly normal teenager with a family, homework, and a stuffed bear who speaks English named Deerhoof; all is well until he starts to get drawn into the dark world of a new classmate. Sunday, December 9 at 8:45pm

Blancanieves (2012) 104m Director: Pablo Berger
An extraordinary re-reading of the classic Grimm Brothers tale as a lush silent melodrama, complete with a wicked stepmother and a traveling troupe of bullfighting dwarves. Friday, December 7 at 6:30pm Director Pablo Berger in person!

The Body (El cuerpo, shown above) (2012) 95m Director: Oriol Paulo
When the body of a murdered woman disappears from the morgue, an unlikely partnership develops between a police inspector and the victim’s husband. Saturday, December 8 at 7:30pm,  Friday, December 14 at 4:00pm

Carmina or Blow Up (Carmina o revienta) (2012) 70m Director: Paco León
Partly a hilarious picaresque comedy, partly a love letter to his mother, Paco León’s impressive debut establishes its young director as a real talent to watch. Sunday, December 16 at 4:00pm

Chrysalis (De tu ventana a la mía) (2011) 95m Director: Paula Ortiz
The wonderful Maribel Verdu co-stars in this chronicle of three generations of women each trying to control their own destinies against the background of a rapidly changing Spain. Friday, December 7 at 2:00pm;  Sunday, December 9 at 4:00pm Director Paula Ortiz in person at Sunday, December 9 screening!

The Cold Call (A puerta fría) (2012) 80m Director: Xavi Puebla
Forced to get a new contract signed or else lose his job, a businessman prepares for a meeting at a trade fair with a big American magnate (Nick Nolte). Friday, December 7 at 4:15pm; Sunday, December 16 at 5:45pm

Dream and Silence (Sueño y silencio, above) (2012) 120m Director: Jaime Rosales
One of Spain’s most provocative filmmakers, Rosales (La soledad, Bullet in the Head) offers an unsettling tale of a man who, following her death in a car accident while he was driving, forgets he ever had a daughter. Thursday, December 13 at 8:30pm

The End (Fin) (2012) 90m Director: Jorge Torregrosso
An already tension-filled reunion among old friends turns terrifying when it seems as if some inexplicable, apocalyptic catastrophe has taken over the planet. Saturday, December 8 at 5:30pm;  Wednesday, December 12 at 1:00pm Director Jorge Torregrosso in person at Saturday, December 8 screening!

Frozen Silence (Silencio en la nieve, below) (2012) 114m Director: Gerardo Herrero
A group of Spaniards in the notorious "Blue Division"--both volunteers and conscripts sent by Franco to fight alongside the Germans on the Russian front--fear they have a serial killer in their midst. Friday, December 7 at 9:00pm

Ghost Graduation (Promoción Fantasma) (2012) 97m Director: Javier Ruiz Caldera
Teacher and psychic Modesto (Raul Arevalo) gets a new assignment: to help a group of teenage ghosts graduate from the high school they’ve been haunting. Friday, December 14 at 8:15pm

Iceberg (2012) 90m Director: Gabriel Velázquez
Beautifully shot in Salamanca, this deceptively tranquil look at three teenagers who try to drop out from the world masks the enormous tensions and contradictory emotions lurking just below the surface. Tuesday, December 11 at 8:15pm

Orange Honey (Miel de naranjas) (2012) 101m Director: Imanol Uribe
Stationed in his girlfriend’s hometown, a young solider in ‘50s Spain discovers the brutal truth of the Franco regime. Wednesday, December 12 at 3:00pm;  Saturday, December 15 at 7:30pm

Painless (Insensibles, above) (2012) 100m Director: Juan Carlos Medina
A taut, provocative thriller that spirals between the Thirties and the present as it recounts the terrible story of a Civil-War era clinic and its experiments with children naturally immune to pain. Friday, December 15 at 2:00pm; Saturday, December 15 at 9:45pm

The Sleeping Voice (La voz dormida) (2011) 128m Director: Benito Zembrano
Dulce Chacon’s bestselling novel about female prisoners in the early years of the Franco regime is brilliantly adapted to the screen Sunday, December 9 at 6:15pm; Thursday, December 13 at 3:45pm Director Benito Zembrano in person at Sunday, December 9 screening!

Sons of the Clouds (Hijos de las nubes, la última colonia) (2012) 110m Director: Alvaro Longoria
Academy Award-winning actor Javier Bardem takes us on a journey to the Western Sahara, where the Sahawai people wait for permission to return to their ancestral lands. Sunday, December 16 at 8:00pm

Wilaya (2012) 97m (above), Director: Pedro Pérez Rosado
After living for years in Spain, a young woman is forced to rejoin her family in a massive refugee camp in the Western Sahara. Thursday, December 13 at 1:30pm;  Sunday, December 16 at 12:00pm

Winning Streak (Los Pelayos) (2012) 101m Director: Eduard Cortés
In this fast-paced comedy, casino gambler Gonzalo finally figures out a way to beat the odds, drafting his somewhat reluctant family into a scheme to make a killing at the roulette table. Saturday, December 8 at 9:45pm Director Eduard Cortés in person!

Wrinkles (Arrugas) (2011, below) 89m Director: Ignacio Ferrera
A beautifully animated tale of resistance, friendship and life set among the inhabitants of an elderly care facility. Sunday, December 16 at 2:00pm

New Spanish Shorts (ShortMetraje) 96m (various directors)
ShortMetraje comes back full force, this time celebrating its 10-year anniversary. This edition's fantastic line-up includes a wide array of formats, genres, and styles by a group of emerging filmmakers whose talents will shape the future of Spanish cinema. Be the first to discover tomorrow's most acclaimed filmmakers! This program is presented by Pragda (www.pragda.com). New Spanish Shorts Screens on Sunday, December 9 at 2:00pm

AT INSTITUTO CERVANTES 

Speaking of Buñuel (A PROPÓSITO DE Buñuel) Director: Javier Rioyo (In Spanish with English subtitles) The most complete documentary ever made about the life and work of Luis Buñuel. With the participation of Michelle Piccoli, Jean Rochefort, Ángela Molina, Jean-Claude Carrière, Carlos Fuentes & Paco Rabal, among others. Tuesday, December 11 at 6:00pm Lecture &

Las Hurdes is a documentary by Buñuel that completely changed the genre. Javier Herrera, one of the top experts in Buñuel´s first films, will talk about the true story of the genesis, the release and the problems that arose during the creation of this masterpiece. In Spanish with simultaneous translation. The screening will include rare home films of Buñuel´s family. Wednesday, December 12 at 6:00pm

Film: THE YOUNG ONE Director: Luis Buñuel A jazz musician seeks refuge from a lynch mob on a remote island, where he meets a hostile game warden and the young object of his attentions. (In English with Spanish subtitles) Thursday, December 13 at 6:00 pm

Film: ROBINSON CRUSOE Director: Luis Buñuel On 30 September 1659, the aristocratic British Robinson Crusoe's ship sinks and he miraculously survives on a deserted island somewhere in South America. (In Spanish with English subtitles) Friday, December 14 at 6:00 pm

Public Screening Schedule 

for Spanish Cinema Now 

Walter Reade Theater 165 West 65 Street, between B'way & Amsterdam (upper level)

Friday, December 7
2:00PM CHRYSALIS (95min)
4:15PM THE COLD CALL (80min)
6:30PM BLANCANIEVES (104min) (Q&A with director Pablo Berger)
9:00PM FROZEN SILENCE (114min)

Saturday, December 8
5:30PM THE END (90min) (Q&A with director Jorge Torregrosso)
7:30PM THE BODY (95min)
9:45PM WINNING STREAK (101min) (Q&A with director Eduard Cortés)

Sunday, December 9
12:00PM LAND WITHOUT BREAD (39min) with ESPANA 1936 (35min) (Q&A with Director of the Filmoteca Nacional of Spain, Jose Maria Prado)
2:00PM NEW SPANISH SHORTS (ShortMetraje) (96min)
4:00PM CHRYSALIS (95min) (Q&A with director Paula Ortiz)
6:15PM THE SLEEPING VOICE (128min) (Q&A with director Benito Zembrano)
8:45PM ANIMALS (100min)

Monday, December 10
NO SCREENINGS

Tuesday, December 11
6:15PM THE DAUGHTER OF JUAN SIMON (69min)
8:15PM ICEBERG (90min)

Wednesday, December 12
1:00PM THE END (90min; a still is shown above)
3:00PM ORANGE HONEY (101min)

Thursday, December 13
1:30PM WILAYA (97min)
3:45PM THE SLEEPING VOICE (128min)
6:00PM DON QUINTIN THE BITTER (87min)
8:30PM DREAM AND SILENCE (120min)

Friday, December 14
2:00PM PAINLESS (100min)
4:00PM THE BODY (95min)
6:15PM VIRIDIANA (90min)
8:15PM GHOST GRADUATION (97min)

Saturday, December 15
5:30PM TRISTANA (95min)
7:30PM ORANGE HONEY (101min)
9:45PM PAINLESS (100min)

Sunday, December 16
12:00PM WILAYA (97min)
2:00PM WRINKLES (89min)
4:00PM CARMINA OR BLOW UP (70min)
5:45PM THE COLD CALL (80min)
8:00PM SONS OF THE CLOUDS (110min)

Antonio Banderas' choice retrospective, Realism in the Spanish Cinema (1951-1963) opens tomorrow at Instituto Cervantes! Banderas to appear in person

A terrific, inclusive program of films from Spain, Realism in Spanish Cinema, little seen here in America and representing the post-WWII period of Spanish cinema under the fascist dictator Francisco Franco, is having a nine-day run at one of of Manhattan's least discovered treasures, Instituto Cervantes at Amster Yard, 211-215 East 49th Street, starting tomorrow, Monday, May 10.

This is a program based upon an original idea by Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, who is also a member of the advisory board of Instituto Cervantes, New York. All the films are in the Spanish language with English subtitles, and each will screen once only, beginning with the opening night selection, Monday, May 10, at 6pm -- at which Señor Banderas is said to be attending the opening night festivities in person.  And admission is free.

The importance of these films cannot be underestimated, I think, because of our need (and the films' ability) to keep history alive.  As with the everything from the the Third Reich/Holocaust to more recent events in Rwanda and Bosnia, and (more in keeping with Spanish history), Pinochet in Chile or the "disappeared" in Argentina, the collective memory of countries under dictatorship, be it from the right or the left, must be kept alive, and at a conscious level.  Movies, among the most sought-after forms of popular entertainment, provide a most memorable way to accomplish this, as Banderas' series should demonstrate well.

Spain under Franco (though there remain today some of its citizens who would prefer to see a return the dictator's policies) was a country divided against itself ever since this dictator, together with his military, attempted to overthrow the democratically elected government, resulting in the Spanish Civil War, which lasted almost three years (1936-39) and ended with Franco taking power and ruling with an iron first for nearly forty years.  This was a time when it might have appeared to the outside world that Spain was a "free" country, but imprisonment and torture for those who did not play follow-the-leader was not unheard of.  The films of the time mirror this repression, even if they cannot speak of it openly.  In some ways, Spanish cinema resembles that of the Eastern European countries under Communism.  While their filmmakers' looks at politics, mores and repression of the time had to be "coded," this inability to speak openly led to some wonderful examples of subtle, thoughtful and meaningful movie-making.

At this point I have seen only one of the ten films in this series: the interesting Death of a Cyclist (Muerte de un ciclista), by Juan Antonio Bardem, which exhibits all of the qualities mentioned above and was also known -- stupidly -- as its English-language title as Age of Infidelity (adultery sells tickets, right?).  But I hope to catch a few more in the ten days to come (the program runs through Wednesday, May 19). The series begins Monday, May 10, at 6pm with Furrows (Surcos) from 1951 and which Señor Banderas himself will introduce. Here's the film's synopsis provided by Instituto Cervantes:

Surcos
Furrows
DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR: José Antonio Nieves Conde PAÍS / COUNTRY: España AÑO / YEAR: 1951 DURACIÓN / RUNNING TIME: 99 min. REPARTO / CAST: Luis Peña, María Asquerino, Francisco Arenzana, Marisa de Leza, Ricardo Lucía, José Prada, Félix Dafauce, María Francés, Maruja Díaz, Félix Briones, Casimiro Hurtado, José Guardiola, Manuel de Juan, Ramón Elías, José Sepúlveda GUIÓN / SCRIPT: José Antonio Nieves Conde, Natividad Zaro, Gonzalo Torrente Ballester MÚSICA / MUSIC: Jesús García Leoz FOTOGRAFÍA / PHOTOGRAPHY: Sebastián Perera PRODUCCIÓN / PRODUCER: Atenea Films S. L.

The Pérez family, consisting of a couple in their sixties and their three kids, dream of improving their quality of life by moving to the capital. They attempt to put their grueling country life behind them at an extremely difficult moment in Spanish History. The family are quite hard-up but they manage to find a place to stay in Madrid thanks to Pili (an old friend of their eldest son), who takes them into her house for a fixed rate. Every day they spend in Madrid becomes a failed attempt in survival. The characters have to face an internal struggle that will contribute to extinguishing the idea of well-being and abundance that they had associated with life in the big city without an empirical basis; an idea based on the rumors that reached the village. Consequently, their attempt to prosper honestly is reduced to a failed project that toys with the characters’ psychology and, in a way, ends us corrupting them. The reality of Madrid in the Fifties was nothing like what they expected: blue-collar neighborhoods packed with workers, with insufficient resources, where the black market and delinquency became the staples of everyday life, which everyone inevitably turned to sooner or later to survive.

Also on the agenda -- which includes Buñuel's Viridiana (Monday, May 17, at 6pm) and an early Saura  (The Rascals, shown above, Sunday, May 16, at 6pm) -- is a second film by Juan Antonio Bardem, Main Street (Calle Mayor), with Betsy Blair, which is a film I have heard about for years but never had the opportunity to see (Friday, May 14, at 5pm).  The whole schedule looks enticing (you can find it, I am told, posted at this Facebook link).  Would there were more time in the world, and we'd be able to see them all.

Below is the IC synopsis of Main Street, also known as The Lovemaker -- another typically crass title- change of the time (1956) geared to lasso an American audience.

Calle Mayor
The lovemaker
DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR: Juan Antonio Bardem PAÍS / COUNTRY: España AÑO / YEAR: 1956 DURACIÓN / RUNNING TIME: 95 min. REPARTO / CAST: Betsy Blair, José Suárez, Yves Massard, Luis Peña, Dora Doll, Alfonso Godá, Manuel Alexandre GUIÓN / SCRIPT: Juan Antonio Bardem (Play: Carlos Arniches) MÚSICA / MUSIC: Joseph Kosma & Isidro B. Maiztegui FOTOGRAFÍA / PHOTOGRAPHY: Michel Kelber PRODUCCIÓN / PRODUCER: Spanish-French Coproduction; Suevia Films / Play Art / Iberia Films

This is the story of a group of friends from a provincial city in the Fifties who play tricks on each other to while away their boredom. One of them, Juan, pretends to have fallen in love with Isabel, a beautiful 35-year-old who’s fated to become an old maid. She gets all excited and acts like a teenager when she realizes someone has fallen in love with her. Things get more and more intense until Juan finds himself caught in his own trap.

All the screenings are free, and a flyer with the complete program is available at the Instituto Cervantes.