by Nick L’Barrow
One of the joys of cinema is being able to experience stories from different countries and cultures and dissect the similarities and differences in all of our innately human tales.
Starting on the April 20 in Sydney, presented by Palace Cinemas, the 2021 Moro Spanish Film Festival will be showcasing over 25 of the best films from first time directors and experienced filmmakers from Spain and parts of Latin America! You can head to www.spanishfilmfestival.com to find out what is showing in your city – and tickets are on sale now!
Thanks for the Spanish Film Festival, Palace Cinemas and ChatterBox PR – I’ve been able to check out some of what is on offer in 2021!
LATIGO
Hailed ‘The Buena Vista Social Club of comedy’ – Latigo is a documentary that hails from Australian comedian Simon Palomares and is a dive into the world of stand-up comedy in Cuba. Speaking with everyone from the hottest comedic Cuban acts to the up-and-coming stars of the open mic nights, Latigo is an intimate look inside the heart and passion of what makes Cuba laugh. Even thought it’s quiet the amateur production (filmed on what seems to be an iPhone), there is no denying that Latigo is about the big souls on the small stage.
View the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scdpL6BFMh0
A THIEF’S DAUGHTER
From first time director Belen Funes comes a harrowing, yet intimate story of a young single mother struggling through life in Barcelona. Sara (Greta Fernandez) is 22, with a six-month old child, working any job she can hold while organising the social support benefits for her family. On top of this, she is discovering she is now half-deaf in one ear and must now deal with the release of her criminal father from prison. A Thief’s Daughter is one of those films where the audience is simply a fly-on-the-wall, watching Sara go through the hardships of her life. It’s a fantastic performance in a movie that is not necessarily meant to be enjoyed as entertainment, but will emotionally stay with you long after the credits roll.
View the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvEB3eg6hboSynopsis
SPIDER
Spider is a political thriller set in two different times in a political rebel’s life. Ines as a 22-year-old was the muse for an opposition rebellion against a tyrannical Chilean government in the early 1970s. Along with her husband and best friend, the three are used by the CIA to cause political unrest, which leads to committing an unspeakable crime that changes the course of the Chilean government and divides the group up. Now in 2019, Ines is a businesswoman who’s career is under threat once an old ally threatens to expose her political past. Spider attempts to juggle a few storylines that can feel a tad confusing at times, but on the flip side of that, it does mean there is something here that any audience can latch onto and enjoy.
View the trailer here: https://youtu.be/tpQyCq6a6lY
