Thinking of all the sexy, vivacious, liberating movies that Spain produces, it’s hard to imagine how Franco kept a lid on the country for so long.
Date/Time: Oct 4 2017, 6:00 pm to 8:10 pm
Vancouver, The Centre for Performing Arts | Event calendarCost: $15.00
Find tickets: here
In 2017, VIFF continues to expand the frame to create multi-experiential streams that include some of the best cinema from around the world fused with related talks and events in a unique Film+ model. VIFF audiences and creators have a chance to discover, discuss and connect more at one of North America's most accessible festivals, in one of the most beautiful cities on the planet.
With more than 300 films from 73 countries, VIFF 2016 audiences were treated to narratives and documentaries that entertained, informed, inspired and left viewers in awe of the filmmaking talent that exists here in Canada and from creators around the world. Look here for a list of
2016 award-winners. We can't wait to see what the 2017 Festival line-up!
The Queen of Spain
La reina de España
Panorama | Contemporary World Cinema
Thinking of all the sexy, vivacious, liberating movies that Spain produces, it’s hard to imagine how Franco kept a lid on the country for so long. This sly film takes place during the dictator’s rule and has great fun sending him up, while also directing its satire at Hollywood’s Golden Age. It’s a historical comedy, set during the 50s and featuring Penélope Cruz as Macarena Granada, a Spanish actress cum Hollywood star who’s back in her native country to shoot a picture. Invited by Franco himself, the studios are collaborating with the Spanish industry on a movie about the country’s royalty. Granada winds up a participant in a plot to spring ex-lover Blas Fontiveros (Antonio Resines) from government custody and get him out of the country.
The behind-the-scenes farce is a time-honoured tradition, and writer-director Fernando Trueba, with his self-conscious wit and old-fashioned sense of showmanship, is just the right filmmaker to fulfill it. This is a delight from first moment to last—a mixture of affectionate and not-so-affectionate satire that hits its targets dead centre. Cruz is a delight, and Cary Elwes, Clive Revill and Mandy Pantinkin all do wonderful turns as her American colleagues.
"Cruz carries the film. She has a ridiculous kind of heroism, and her disguises are hilarious…"—Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
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The Vancouver International Film Festival 2017 Events