Even dodging the political debate, everyone can recognize a multiple and very rich personality in the Spanish culture, from Madrid to Galicia, Catalonia, the Basque Country or Andalucia. Every region has its own idiosyncrasy and lately, in Catalonia, has raised a powerful citizen movement which is making serious steps in order to separate from the Spanish State. This growing movement has been provoked by several reasons; the crisis, the political, economic and social disagreements between the Catalan government and the central government, etc., but has also rediscovered some historical, cultural and idiomatic vindications that today, more than ever, are penetrating in the people’s speech.
That’s why, in this very moment, it is also more interesting than ever to get into the Catalan culture and art. For that, there’s no better way than the cinema. What we propose is a programme that includes five feature films (one documentary, one docu-fiction, and three fictions) and four shorts, all very different between each other, but a good representation of this culture. Some of these films talk about social issues: La Granja del Pas is a powerful documentary about evicted families; Nada S.A. and El corredor, short films, are scathing comedies about unemployment; La plaga, between reality and fiction, portraits a little community from Barcelona’s outskirts. Other films programmed take other themes, personal dramas that can become as universal as Shakespeare is: Otel·lo brings the British author nowadays, refreshing the tragedy with a lush perspective; Tots volem el millor per a ella and El camí més llarg per tornar a casa are both excellent surgical explorations about internal pain, caused by a disease or by an unbearable loss. Finally, short films No me quites and El adiós are intimate but transcendental episodes of two strong women.