IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE HUMANE
We are all human beings. Unfortunately, we do not always behave like that. That painful truth determines and measures how humane people are both in some extreme and everyday life situations. Films at this year’s Spanish Cinematography focus on this issue.
This ethical, religious, political, anthropological and ,first and foremost, humanistic issue has been examined in a wide range of film drama subgenres: from La Buena Nueva (The Good News) with its focus on history, through Retorno a Hansala (Return to Hansala), dealing with some contemporary political issues, and Cobardes (Cowards) and its social and family dimension, to powerful personal stories in Siete mesas de billar francés (Seven Billiard Tables), Mataharis (Mata Haris) and Lo mejor de mi (The Best of Me), then a transvestite opereta 20 centimetros (20cm) and a apocalyptic science fiction thriller Tres días (Three Days). Pedro Almodóvar’s masterpiece film Todo sobre mi madre (All About My Mother) closes this melodramatic and philosophical cycle of films.
All of these films show how necessary it is to be humane and how easy it is regardless of impediments people encounter during their lifetime.
These are not pathetic and didactic films. They are communicative and cathartic creations whose authors posses a refined sense for building psychological profiles of their characters and creating some turbulent and life changing situations where their protagonists have to react energetically and decisively. One must point out indeed an excellent, brave and sincere way in which these films have been directed. And perhaps it is no coincidence that five of these nine feature films have been signed by female directors. However, one should bear in mind the fact that Almodóvar and Ramon Salazar are quite superior as far as the presence and domination of anima is concerned.
All of these films have something in common: humour, tears, fear and soul. Finally, everyone can identify with some segments of these film stories or rediscover a substantial amount of kindness in her/his heart.
Nebojsa Popovic, Festival programme selector
PROGRAMME OF THE FESTIVAL:
Friday 8th May
21.00: PASEO; THE GOOD NEWS
Saturday 9th May
19.00: THE BEST OF ME
21.00: MATAHARIS
Sunday 10th May
19.00: RETURN TO HANSALA
21.00: SEVEN BILLIARD TABLES
Monday 11th May
19.00: A STRANGER CAME BY LONG AGO; COWARDS
21.00: BEFORE THE FALL
Tuesday, 12th May
19.00: ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER
21.30: 20 CENTIMETRES