Films & Schedules - Spanish Language

3 Million is a documentary for soccer lovers, but also for anyone who likes to root for the underdog. Like many countries, Uruguay’s heart stops and starts with the fate of its beloved soccer team. In this joyous documentary about the passion of soccer, the iconic Uruguayan musician Jaime Roos and his (Dutch) photographer son Yamandu follow the national team’s 2010 World Cup run to the electric semi-finals in South Africa. From Kimberley to Johannesburg to Cape Town to Pretoria, Jaime and Yamandu uncover truths about the players and the excitement of memorable games with the world’s top teams, as...

3 Million is a documentary for soccer lovers, but also for anyone who likes to root for the underdog. Like many countries, Uruguay’s heart stops and starts with the fate of its beloved soccer team. In this joyous documentary about the passion of soccer, the iconic Uruguayan musician Jaime Roos and his (Dutch) photographer son Yamandu follow the national team’s 2010 World Cup run to the electric semi-finals in South Africa. From Kimberley to Johannesburg to Cape Town to Pretoria, Jaime and Yamandu uncover truths about the players and the excitement of memorable games with the world’s top teams, as well as reveal their own relationship, which has its own suspense and surprise. A music-infused, father-son road trip in celebration of the powerful uniting force of sport. (135 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by OPB and SP Newsprint.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Family Fare, Spanish Language.

Following a car accident, Roberto is left grieving the death of his wife and raising his emotionally distant yet self-sacrificing daughter Alejandra alone. The broken family uproots their lives in Puerto Vallarta and moves to Mexico City in hopes of starting anew. After Lucia focuses on Alejandra as she simultaneously attempts to deal with both her mother’s death and a drunken, teenage mistake that makes her the target of cruel harassment and abuse from her classmates. Ashamed and unable to tell her distressed father or anyone else about the escalating bullying at school, Alejandra’s silence ultimately takes a dreadful toll....

Following a car accident, Roberto is left grieving the death of his wife and raising his emotionally distant yet self-sacrificing daughter Alejandra alone. The broken family uproots their lives in Puerto Vallarta and moves to Mexico City in hopes of starting anew. After Lucia focuses on Alejandra as she simultaneously attempts to deal with both her mother’s death and a drunken, teenage mistake that makes her the target of cruel harassment and abuse from her classmates. Ashamed and unable to tell her distressed father or anyone else about the escalating bullying at school, Alejandra’s silence ultimately takes a dreadful toll. This exquisitely told tale of the heartbreaking pain of insensitive bullying won the main prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival and is this year’s Mexican submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (93 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by the Consulate of Mexico in Portland and Chipotle.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

This year’s Spanish submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar is a 1920s, silent-set reworking of the Brothers Grimm fairytale “Snow White,” offset by punchy Flamenco rhythms and full of imagination. Rejected at birth by her father, Carmencita (Macarena Garciá) is raised by her grandmother. But when her grandmother dies, the poor dark-haired maiden is sent to the lower depths of her evil stepmother’s villa. Maribel Verdú (Y Tu Mamá También) gives an ingeniously smart, campy performance as the villainess, hell-bent on keeping Carmencita from Prince Charming—here a bullfighting dwarf!—and thwarting her dreams of becoming a matador.“ While Michel...

This year’s Spanish submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar is a 1920s, silent-set reworking of the Brothers Grimm fairytale “Snow White,” offset by punchy Flamenco rhythms and full of imagination. Rejected at birth by her father, Carmencita (Macarena Garciá) is raised by her grandmother. But when her grandmother dies, the poor dark-haired maiden is sent to the lower depths of her evil stepmother’s villa. Maribel Verdú (Y Tu Mamá También) gives an ingeniously smart, campy performance as the villainess, hell-bent on keeping Carmencita from Prince Charming—here a bullfighting dwarf!—and thwarting her dreams of becoming a matador.“ While Michel Hazanavicius’s Oscar winner, The Artist, was a playful valentine to pre-talkies Hollywood, Spanish writer-director Berger’s inventive Andalusian tale is a love letter to 1920s European silent film, effortlessly mixing humor and melodrama in delightful fashion.”—Hollywood Reporter  (90 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Torremolinos 73 (03)

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Spanish Language, Comedy.

Welcome to the surreal and wild world of Carmina, a crass 58-year-old bar owner in Seville. When the insurance company refuses to pay up following a series of robberies, Carmina (director León’s real-life mother) has to find an alternative way of getting the money back to support her family. While she waits in her kitchen for her plan to develop, the chain-smoking Carmina reflects on her life, deeds, and miracles and feeds the goat that lives with her. A box office phenomenon in Spain, León’s charming and wild film won the Special Jury Prize, Audience Award, and Best Actress Award...

Welcome to the surreal and wild world of Carmina, a crass 58-year-old bar owner in Seville. When the insurance company refuses to pay up following a series of robberies, Carmina (director León’s real-life mother) has to find an alternative way of getting the money back to support her family. While she waits in her kitchen for her plan to develop, the chain-smoking Carmina reflects on her life, deeds, and miracles and feeds the goat that lives with her. A box office phenomenon in Spain, León’s charming and wild film won the Special Jury Prize, Audience Award, and Best Actress Award at the Málaga Film Festival. (70 mins.)

First Feature.

Co-sponsored and organized by PRAGDA with support from the Embassy of Spain, Washington; American Airlines; and the Secretary of State for Culture-Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language, Comedy.

Staunch loner Roberto, owner of a small hardware store in Buenos Aires, is shaken out of his solitary daily routine of collecting absurd newspaper clippings and visiting his parents’ grave when Chinese immigrant Jun literally falls into his life out of the back of a cab. Through a series of events that go against Roberto’s better judgment, the out-of-work Jun moves in with him, which proves a nightmare for Roberto as he makes increasingly desperate (and also touching and hilarious) attempts to get rid of his new roommate. Borensztein’s warm, endearing film offers a heartfelt reminder that friendship can crop...

Staunch loner Roberto, owner of a small hardware store in Buenos Aires, is shaken out of his solitary daily routine of collecting absurd newspaper clippings and visiting his parents’ grave when Chinese immigrant Jun literally falls into his life out of the back of a cab. Through a series of events that go against Roberto’s better judgment, the out-of-work Jun moves in with him, which proves a nightmare for Roberto as he makes increasingly desperate (and also touching and hilarious) attempts to get rid of his new roommate. Borensztein’s warm, endearing film offers a heartfelt reminder that friendship can crop up between the strangest, most mismatched, and plain old grumpiest of odd couples. (98 mins.)

Filmography: Sin Memoria (10)

Winner of the Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Film Awards at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina.

In Spanish and Mandarin.

Sponsored by Hotel Modera.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language, Comedy.

Ávila’s partly autobiographical account of his upbringing is a moving portrait of adolescent life in politically tumultuous 1970s Argentina. After years of exile, 12-year-old Juan and his family cautiously return to Buenos Aires with fake identities. Juan’s parents are members of the Montoneros organization, fighting against the ruling military junta. His friends at school know him as Ernesto, and as he tries to make friends and lead a normal life, he knows his life depends on him not forgetting who he really is. Ávila’s powerful portrait of childhood innocence at odds with life-or-death political ideals won the Casa de America...

Ávila’s partly autobiographical account of his upbringing is a moving portrait of adolescent life in politically tumultuous 1970s Argentina. After years of exile, 12-year-old Juan and his family cautiously return to Buenos Aires with fake identities. Juan’s parents are members of the Montoneros organization, fighting against the ruling military junta. His friends at school know him as Ernesto, and as he tries to make friends and lead a normal life, he knows his life depends on him not forgetting who he really is. Ávila’s powerful portrait of childhood innocence at odds with life-or-death political ideals won the Casa de America Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and is this year’s Argentine submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (112 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by OPB.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, Spanish Language, History.

Winner of the Grand Prize at the Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival and a New York Film Festival selection, Esparza’s lyrical film captures the reality of the life of a migrant worker who struggles on both sides of the border. Pedro returns home to a small mountain village in Guerrero after years of working in the US. His daughters feel more distant than he imagined, and his wife Teresa is delighted that he’s back but troubled by their circumstances. With the money he has earned, he can create a better life for his family and maybe even start...

Winner of the Grand Prize at the Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival and a New York Film Festival selection, Esparza’s lyrical film captures the reality of the life of a migrant worker who struggles on both sides of the border. Pedro returns home to a small mountain village in Guerrero after years of working in the US. His daughters feel more distant than he imagined, and his wife Teresa is delighted that he’s back but troubled by their circumstances. With the money he has earned, he can create a better life for his family and maybe even start the band with his cousins he has dreamed about for years. But work back home remains scarce and the temptation of heading back north of the border remains as strong as ever. (110 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by the Consulate of Mexico in Portland.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

With moving intimacy, Vega depicts the challenges and obstacles that face Colombia’s indigenous population—not just the struggle to sustain cultural traditions and values but simply to stay alive in the strife that has long beset the country. Fleeing the fighting in her hometown that has taken her family, 19-year-old Alicia arrives at her aunt and uncle’s ramshackle inn, La Sirga, on the isolated shores of a lake high in the Andes. By day, Alicia assists the couple in fixing up the inn, hoping the area’s tourists will return next season, but at night, perhaps due to the trauma she has...

With moving intimacy, Vega depicts the challenges and obstacles that face Colombia’s indigenous population—not just the struggle to sustain cultural traditions and values but simply to stay alive in the strife that has long beset the country. Fleeing the fighting in her hometown that has taken her family, 19-year-old Alicia arrives at her aunt and uncle’s ramshackle inn, La Sirga, on the isolated shores of a lake high in the Andes. By day, Alicia assists the couple in fixing up the inn, hoping the area’s tourists will return next season, but at night, perhaps due to the trauma she has witnessed, Alicia sleepwalks. Against this setting of evocative natural beauty, a quiet drama of identity and healing plays out in enthralling fashion. (88 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by OPB.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

On a hot summer day in a vacant Madrid during a period of social and political transition in Spain, Miguel, a feared and respected journalist, sets up a meeting in a café with Ángela, a young journalism student. He takes her to a friend’s studio. His intentions are clearly sexual; hers are less clear. Chance events force them together for more time than they would have chosen, and the pair, who represent polarized generations, are pitted in a witty, sensual, but unevenly matched duel involving age, intellect, ambition, and experience. The political and social context of the period provides the...

On a hot summer day in a vacant Madrid during a period of social and political transition in Spain, Miguel, a feared and respected journalist, sets up a meeting in a café with Ángela, a young journalism student. He takes her to a friend’s studio. His intentions are clearly sexual; hers are less clear. Chance events force them together for more time than they would have chosen, and the pair, who represent polarized generations, are pitted in a witty, sensual, but unevenly matched duel involving age, intellect, ambition, and experience. The political and social context of the period provides the background to the power shifts that continually take place between them over 24 hours. (104 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Good Life (96), Soldiers of Salamina (03), Welcome Home (06)

Co-sponsored and organized by PRAGDA with support from the Embassy of Spain, Washington; American Airlines; and the Secretary of State for Culture-Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language, History.

Exploring the moral and spiritual costs of the rule of Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, No follows the exploits of René Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), a clever advertising executive appointed by the opposing coalition to spearhead the “no” campaign in the 1988 referendum. Intent on revealing Pinochet’s human rights atrocities, Saavedra insists that the way to overcome voter fear is with glitzy, jingle-filled spots that promise that “no” is simply a vote for “happiness.” Liberally peppered with black comedy, the film reveals not only the hypocrisy of the regime but that of the left-leaning opposition and the cynical advertising world...

Exploring the moral and spiritual costs of the rule of Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, No follows the exploits of René Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), a clever advertising executive appointed by the opposing coalition to spearhead the “no” campaign in the 1988 referendum. Intent on revealing Pinochet’s human rights atrocities, Saavedra insists that the way to overcome voter fear is with glitzy, jingle-filled spots that promise that “no” is simply a vote for “happiness.” Liberally peppered with black comedy, the film reveals not only the hypocrisy of the regime but that of the left-leaning opposition and the cynical advertising world manipulations as well. Shooting on video cameras used during the era allows Larraín to seamlessly blend archival footage and to visually riff on the aesthetics of the microwave and soft drink commercials appropriated for the campaign. (118 mins.)

Filmography: Fuga (06), Tony Manero (08), Post Mortem (10)

This year’s Chilean submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Sponsored by Alaska Airlines.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Spanish Language, History.

Despite the stark choices around them, three Havana teens defiantly maintain their self-worth and dreams for a better future. After a run-in with a tourist puts the police on his tail, hotheaded Raul impulsively decides it’s time to escape to Florida and begins planning with his friend Elio. When Elio’s twin sister Lila discovers what the two are up to, her dismay gives way to a decision to join them on the perilous sea journey. Brimming with the nervous energy of Havana’s restless youth and the evocative cinematography of the sun-bleached capital, One Night follows one sweltering day, full of...

Despite the stark choices around them, three Havana teens defiantly maintain their self-worth and dreams for a better future. After a run-in with a tourist puts the police on his tail, hotheaded Raul impulsively decides it’s time to escape to Florida and begins planning with his friend Elio. When Elio’s twin sister Lila discovers what the two are up to, her dismay gives way to a decision to join them on the perilous sea journey. Brimming with the nervous energy of Havana’s restless youth and the evocative cinematography of the sun-bleached capital, One Night follows one sweltering day, full of hope and fraught with tensions, that burns to a shocking climax. (90 mins.)

First Feature.

Winner of the Best New Narrative Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Actor Awards at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Sponsored by the Heathman Hotel.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

Reygadas’s enigmatic, visually ravishing film presents the occurrences around Juan and Natalia, a wealthy couple living in a stunning house in the lush countryside with their two little children and their pack of dogs. Mundane domestic events are punctuated by a series of disparate, occasionally fantastical subplots within a tableau of overwhelming beauty haunted by mysterious sinister forces. “In this expressionistic Mexican film, magnificent dreamlike exteriors together with memories and dream sequences tell the story of one man’s ability to resist temptation and stop himself from sinning. The story is at times told from the perspective of Satan, showing us...

Reygadas’s enigmatic, visually ravishing film presents the occurrences around Juan and Natalia, a wealthy couple living in a stunning house in the lush countryside with their two little children and their pack of dogs. Mundane domestic events are punctuated by a series of disparate, occasionally fantastical subplots within a tableau of overwhelming beauty haunted by mysterious sinister forces. “In this expressionistic Mexican film, magnificent dreamlike exteriors together with memories and dream sequences tell the story of one man’s ability to resist temptation and stop himself from sinning. The story is at times told from the perspective of Satan, showing us the world through the Devil’s ambivalent eyes. The use of a nonlinear storyline gives way for emotions, hopes, and dreams of a family looking for redemption and the meaning of life.”—Stockholm Film Festival (115 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Japón (02), Battle in Heaven (05), Silent Light (07)

Winner of the Best Director Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Sponsored by the Consulate of Mexico in Portland.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

Toiling silently amongst the residents of an everyday Barcelona apartment building, doorman César harbors a dark secret: his sole desire in life is to make others unhappy. When he sets his sights on Clara, one of his building’s cheeriest residents, his need blossoms into a full-fledged obsession. Embarking on a series of harassments, César becomes determined to ruin her life by any means necessary. Soon his thirst for others’ sadness becomes manically unquenchable. Balagueró delves into the perverse fantasies of a man on the brink and delivers an unnerving tale of obsession and torment that delivers nonstop thrills right up...

Toiling silently amongst the residents of an everyday Barcelona apartment building, doorman César harbors a dark secret: his sole desire in life is to make others unhappy. When he sets his sights on Clara, one of his building’s cheeriest residents, his need blossoms into a full-fledged obsession. Embarking on a series of harassments, César becomes determined to ruin her life by any means necessary. Soon his thirst for others’ sadness becomes manically unquenchable. Balagueró delves into the perverse fantasies of a man on the brink and delivers an unnerving tale of obsession and torment that delivers nonstop thrills right up to its shocking conclusion. (102 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Nameless (99), Fragile (05), [Rec] (07), [Rec 2] (09)

Winner of the Gaudi Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay.

Co-sponsored and organized by PRAGDA with support from the Embassy of Spain, Washington; American Airlines; and the Secretary of State for Culture-Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

In the dangerous, poverty-stricken slums of Buenos Aires, two Catholic priests tirelessly fighting for the dispossessed take very different paths in their struggle against violence, corruption, and injustice. The older Julian uses his political connections to see to the construction of a critical hospital, while the younger Nicholas, troubled by his lack of faith in the Church’s ability to help the poor, questions his calling. Between them is Luciana, an atheistic social worker who works with one as she becomes romantically involved with the other. Enduring constant struggle, torn apart by the conflicting interests of rival drug cartels, venal politics,...

In the dangerous, poverty-stricken slums of Buenos Aires, two Catholic priests tirelessly fighting for the dispossessed take very different paths in their struggle against violence, corruption, and injustice. The older Julian uses his political connections to see to the construction of a critical hospital, while the younger Nicholas, troubled by his lack of faith in the Church’s ability to help the poor, questions his calling. Between them is Luciana, an atheistic social worker who works with one as she becomes romantically involved with the other. Enduring constant struggle, torn apart by the conflicting interests of rival drug cartels, venal politics, rampant police corruption, and the basic needs of the people, a moment of reckoning tests friendship, faith, and the worth of their commitment. (110 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Crane World (99), Rolling Family (04), Carancho (10)

Sponsored by OregonLive.com.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

Ferreira’s elegant triptych of coming-of-age tales follows three teenage friends and their individual struggles to define themselves amidst hard family conditions and a seemingly indifferent society: Graffiti artist Alex, ignored by his parents and faced with the mounting living expenses for an art grant he wins; kickboxer Gabi, who lives in fear of his domineering gym-owner father; and wealthy Oky, who lives comfortably but without affection from her parents. “The sins of parents and teachers are visited on their progeny and students in this largely subtle, compassionate, and perceptive take on bad education affecting a trio of Catalan teens. ......

Ferreira’s elegant triptych of coming-of-age tales follows three teenage friends and their individual struggles to define themselves amidst hard family conditions and a seemingly indifferent society: Graffiti artist Alex, ignored by his parents and faced with the mounting living expenses for an art grant he wins; kickboxer Gabi, who lives in fear of his domineering gym-owner father; and wealthy Oky, who lives comfortably but without affection from her parents. “The sins of parents and teachers are visited on their progeny and students in this largely subtle, compassionate, and perceptive take on bad education affecting a trio of Catalan teens. ... An engrossing drama as well as an urgent cry for social change.”—Variety (100 mins.)

Selected Filmography: I Know Who You Are (00), The Impatient Alchemist (02), Broken Hearts (05)

Winner of the Best Film and Best Screenplay Prizes at the Malaga Spanish Film Festival and of the Grand Prize at the Montreal Film Festival.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

Adapted from Paco Roca’s comic book, winner of the Spanish National Comic Prize, this beautifully crafted animated feature focuses on the friendship of Emilio and Miguel, two senior citizens living in a care facility. Suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s, Emilio is apprehensive about moving into a nursing home. Helping him make the transition is his roommate Miguel, a rascally Argentinean. Both sensitively told and refreshingly acerbic, Wrinkles smoothes its challenging subject into an inspiring story full of charm, wit, and universal appeal. (89 mins.)

Adapted from Paco Roca’s comic book, winner of the Spanish National Comic Prize, this beautifully crafted animated feature focuses on the friendship of Emilio and Miguel, two senior citizens living in a care facility. Suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s, Emilio is apprehensive about moving into a nursing home. Helping him make the transition is his roommate Miguel, a rascally Argentinean. Both sensitively told and refreshingly acerbic, Wrinkles smoothes its challenging subject into an inspiring story full of charm, wit, and universal appeal. (89 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Tokyo Onlypic 2008 (08)

Winner of the Best Animated Film and Best Adapted Screenplay Awards at the 2012 Goya Awards.

Sponsored by LAIKA.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Animation, Spanish Language.