It’s that time of year again – for three weeks Perth will be able to view some of the best films to come out of Spain. That’s right, the Spanish Film Festival will run from April 27 until May 17, and will showcase 39 films.
The festival will be kicking off with Kiki, Love to Love (Kiki, El Amor se Hace) – a film which smashed the Spanish box office and happens to be based on the Australian film, The Little Death by Joshua Lawson. From crime thrillers to dramatic comedies, the festival will present an array of Spanish hits across multiple genres – so there will be a little something for everyone! For details on scoring a double pass for you and a friend – keep reading.
A little British humour
Closing out the festivities will be the sequel to the slow-beat British Comedy The Trip, starring the hilarious duo Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Cue an unsurmountable number of impressions of Michael Cane and a sibling-like bickering as the two travel around the country tasting various dishes in The Trip to Spain (2014) all for the UK Observer #werkperks.
Criticising the corporate culture
Honorable mentions also go out to The Tip of the Iceberg (2016), a film inspired by true events when in 2009, 20 employees committed suicide at France Télécom (now known as Orange). The film explores the rigorous nature of corporate culture and the very real-life problem of profit at any cost.
The film features an investigation into a multinational company after three of its employees commit suicide. A nail biter sure to have you questioning the line between hard-working and overworked, with a mysterious Iceberg Project at the centre of the conspiracy. The film acts as a warning and is a must watch for those who feel the daily 9-5 grind weighing a little too heavily.
Nothing beats hometown glory
Next up is a dark comedic drama centred around a Nobel Prize winning author who finds the prestigious accolade a travesty on his career. Instead of being grateful, Daniel Mantovani found the award offensive, as it meant he had created a piece of writing that has been widely accepted and agreed upon.
The Distinguished Citizen (2016) follows the life of novelist Mantovani five years since denouncing the critically acclaimed prize, as he continues to turn down numerous awards until finally, one peaks his interest. He chooses to accept an award from his home town of Salas, honouring him as a Distinguished Citizen. The only catch is, he left the small town 40 years earlier and never looked back until now.
The film covers the full circle of the writer back to the very town that inspired his award winning work, and the “Characters” who are heavily entwined throughout his writing. This award winning film, which won Best Foreign Film in the Spanish Language, asks the audience to question how success is measured, and shows that the ones we seek approval from are not always in the spotlight.
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