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Edinburgh International Film Festival · 2019

Edinburgh International Film Festival 2019

Focus On Spain

There will also be two short film showcases in this section - Shorts From Galicia and Spotlight On Contemporary Spanish Short Films

Programme

9 films · 2 reviews

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Buñuel In The Labyrinth Of The Turtles (Buñuel En El Laberinto De Las Tortugas)

Review preview for Buñuel In The Labyrinth Of The Turtles

Simó works hard to capture the same oddness of perspective and association that marks out Buñuel's own films, succeeding more often than not.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
Animated feature about the master of Spanish surrealist cinema.

(Country: Spain, Netherlands, Germany; Year: 2018; Director: Salvador Simó; Writer: Eligio R Montero, Salvador Simó; Stars: Voices of, Jorge Usón, Fernando Ramos, Luis Enrique de Tomás, Cyril Corral, Pepa Gracia, Rachel Lascar, Gabriel Latorre, Philipp Nowicki, Fermín Núñez, Jorge Usón, Fernando Ramos, Luis Enrique de Tomás, Cyril Corral, Pepa Gracia, Rachel Lascar)

Full review

UK premiere

Cages (Jaulas)

A woman flees her oppressive marriage with her teenage daughter ... can they escape their cage?

(Country: Spain; Year: 2018; Director: Nicolás Pacheco; Writer: Nicolás Pacheco; Stars: María Cabrera, Manolo Caro, Manuel Cañadas, Estefanía Santos de los, Antonio Dechent, Antonio Estrada, Mila Fernández, Marta Gavilán, Stefan Mihai, Belén Ponce de León, Manuel Tallafé, Carlos Tirado, María Cabrera, Manolo Caro, Manuel Cañadas)

UK premiere

Champions (Campeones)

The assistant trainer of a professional league side, Marco, is given community service in the form of coaching a very special basketball team of people with intellectual disability. Surprisingly even for Marco himself, he’ll be the one to learn a real lesson from the adventure alongside a team where the desire to live and placing importance on the things they actually have is what really matters.

(Country: Spain, Mexico; Year: 2018; Director: Javier Fesser; Writer: David Marqués, Javier Fesser; Stars: Javier Gutiérrez, Athenea Mata, Juan Margallo, José de Luna, Sergio Olmo, Jesús Vidal, Gloria Ramos, Alberto Nieto Ferrández, Julio Fernández, Jesús Lago, Fran Fuentes, Roberto Chinchilla, Stefan López, Luisa Gavasa, Luis Bermejo)

UK premiere

The Deer (Oreina)

Khalil is a rootless young man who lives on the edge of town, where the industrial estates merge into the river and the marshes. Khalil gets by as best he can and spends his time with an old poacher, who shares a house on the riverbank with a brother who he hasn't spoken to in years. On the banks of the marshes, the tides mark the time for love and heartbreak, friendship and revenge.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2018; Director: Koldo Almandoz; Writer: Koldo Almandoz; Stars: Laulad Ahmed, Patxi Bisquert, Ramón Agirre, Iraia Elías, Erika Olaizola)

Scottish premiere

The Hidden City (La Ciudad Oculta)

Review preview for The Hidden City

Moreno's travels give us a sense of the enormity of what lies beneath, unhurried but curious in his progress, even homing in to look at the microscopic monsters we might not realise also make these caverns their home.

Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
Beneath the modern city, there lies a vast labyrinth, which the filmmaker explores.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2018; Director: Víctor Moreno)

Full review

UK premiere

hOus3

A reunion dinner turns weird for a group of computer buffs on a weekend break.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2018; Director: Manolo Munguia)

International premiere

Love Beats (La Banda)

A Spanish musician who is living in London finds himself drawn back towards village life on a trip back to Valencia. Will nostalgia win out?

(Country: Spain; Year: 2019; Director: Roberto Bueso; Writer: Roberto Bueso; Stars: Enric Benavent, Carlo Blanco, Gonzálo Fernández, Xavi Giner, Pepo Llopis, Baiana Plana, Hugo Rubert, Inma Sancho, Charlotte Vega, Enric Benavent, Carlo Blanco, Gonzálo Fernández, Xavi Giner, Pepo Llopis, Baiana Plana)

UK premiere

Notes For A Heist Film (Apuntes Para Una Pelicula De Atracos)

Elías is a film director who dreamed of making a heist movie. During the summer of 2013 he reads a news story about the arrest of 'The Vallecas Robin Hood', the leader of 'the sewers gang'. He then feels that he has found the opportunity to make his dream come true. He sends a letter to the prison where he is serving his sentence. Against all odds, Elías receives a reply three weeks later. Robin Hood agrees for him to come and visit him in prison.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2018; Director: León Siminiani)

UK premiere

Not The End (Sin Fin)

A man travels in time in a bid to rekindle his relationship.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2018; Director: César Esteban Alenda, José Esteban Alenda; Writer: César Esteban Alenda, José Esteban Alenda; Stars: Javier Rey, María León, Juan Carlos Sánchez, Mari Paz Sayago, Paco Ochoa, Roberto Campillo, Asencio Salas, Paco Mora, Cristian Gamero, Rafael Chaves, Paco Inestrosa, Javier Rey, María León, Juan Carlos Sánchez, Mari Paz Sayago)

UK premiere