The 11th "Spanish Cinema Line" festival started at the Zhovten cinema in Kyiv on September 24 and will run until September 30, presenting five notable Spanish films of recent years.
The festival is held with the support of the Embassy of Spain in Ukraine and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in cooperation with the Arthouse Traffic film company. Information about the participation of the Spanish Embassy and AECID is also presented on the official festival poster. The organizers note that the project is designed to introduce Ukrainian audiences to contemporary Spanish cinema.
The festival opened on September 24 with a screening of the new film by two-time Oscar winner Pedro Almodóvar, "Bitter Christmas" (Amarga Navidad). The film combines drama and comedy and tells the story of an artist experiencing a creative crisis who uses events from his own life and the stories of loved ones in his script. The film was presented in Cannes, where it received the award for best soundtrack, and was also included in the program of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
The program of the "Spanish Cinema Line" also includes Arantxa Echevarría's criminal comedy "Who's Fooling Who", the drama "Black Ball" by directing duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, Irene Iborra's animated feature "Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake," and Oliver Laxe's drama "Sirat."
"Who's Fooling Who," scheduled for screening on September 25 and 29, tells the story of a former talent show participant who, due to financial problems, agrees to take part in stealing a precious painting. The film was part of the official program of the Málaga Film Festival.
On September 26, a special screening of "Black Ball" will take place at Zhovten—a story connected with the figure of Federico García Lorca and the writer's unfinished manuscript. The film was directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi.
Two screenings are scheduled for September 27. The family animation "Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake" tells the story of a 12-year-old girl who, along with her younger brother and mother, is forced to leave her home. To help her brother cope with fear and instability, Olivia turns their new reality into imaginary "film shoots." The picture will be shown with Ukrainian dubbing.
On the same day, viewers will be presented with Oliver Laxe's "Sirat"—one of the most prominent recent Spanish festival films, created with the participation of producers Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar.
According to the current schedule, repeat screenings of "Bitter Christmas" will take place on September 28 and 30, and "Who's Fooling Who" on September 29. All main feature films are shown in the original language with Ukrainian subtitles.
After Kyiv, the festival will continue in Lviv: from October 12 to 16, screenings will be held at the Planet Kino cinema in the Forum Lviv shopping mall.
The "Spanish Cinema Line" is being held in Ukraine for the eleventh time and is one of the cultural projects aimed at presenting modern Spanish culture to the Ukrainian audience.
