Spanish Movies

TV programs here may be pretty wack, but the Spaniards are relatively well known for their awesome movies! I've watched three movies so far, and all three were really great in their own ways.

The first one I saw was Pa Negre, which actually is "Pan Negro" (black bread) in Catalan, the regional language of Cataluña where Barcelona is located. The movie is set in a small townright after Guerra Civil, the Spanish Civil War, when Franco came into power.

The movie is in Catalan, and therefore I couldn't understand a word of it, but that's what subtitles are for! :) It was artistically beautiful, but boy oh boy, is it dark! The content was disturbing and unsettling, and I don't know if I will watch it again, but it definitely did a good job of capturing the dark times Spaniards went through. Recommend it if you're looking for something thought provoking, but don't watch it if you want a pick me up, or are having a girls' night in.

The second movie I watched was Un Franco, 14 Pesetas. Very very good. Set in the 1960s of Spain under the rule of Franco. Granted Spain has serious financial difficulties today (who doesn't?), however, in the 60s, things were worse. To make ends meet, a lot of jobless Spaniards immigrated to surrounding European countries who were experiencing an economic boom after WWII, and mailed money home. And that is what this story is about. Two friends, Marcos and Martin move to Switzerland, and the story unfolds.

The movie is in, well, Spanish, but it's humorous, endearing, and maybe it's because I am 1.5 generation child (AKA moved to a foreign country at a young age), the movie hit a mooshy part in me. I recommend it!

And lastly, just watched it today after having it checked out of the library for a whole week, Las 13 Rosas. Yet another movie about the Guerra Civil Española, and el franquismo, but it was a beautiful, beautiful movie. Shed tears here and there, but it was really good.

The movie takes place after the franquists win the war in 1939, but a group of young women are fighting against the change. 13 women, most all of them around the age of 19 and 20, are "rojos" and therefore enemies to the state. The movie sheds a little bit of light into the lives of the girls, and I'll stop here because I don't know how to talk about the movie further without giving away the whole plot. It is based on an actual event in history, and I really, highly recommend it. From the actors, to the costumes, to the fact that it shows places in Madrid that I recognize, I enjoyed the movie thoroughly.

:)