Recent Spanish Cinema 2017 in Los Angeles

The emblematic Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard hosts the 23rd edition of Recent Spanish Cinema, featuring appearances by leading figures in the Spanish film industry, who have contributed significantly to put “Made in Spain” productions at the vanguard of filmmaking worldwide.

The Fury of a Patient Man (Tarde para la Ira)

• On Thursday, October 19, at 7:30 pm. Buy tickets.
• Opening night reception following the feature in the courtyard for all ticket holders.
• Directed by Raúl Arévalo, Spain, 2016, 92 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. View trailer.

The patient man of the title is Jose (Antonio de la Torre), a patron of a low-rent Madrid café who take an interest in one of its waitresses, Ana (Ruth Díaz). But his intent is not simply romantic: Ana’s husband is a getaway car driver whose prison sentence for a botched jewelry store robbery is almost up. Winner of four Goya Awards, including Best Film.

Smoke and Mirrors (El Hombre de las mil Caras)

• On Friday, October 20 at 7:30 pm. Buy tickets.
• Double feature with The Invisible Guardian (El Guardián Invisible) below.
• Directed by Alberto Rodriguez, Spain, 2016, 123 minutes. In Spanish, French and English with English subtitles. View trailer.

Writer-director Alberto Rodríguez reunites much of his MARSHLAND creative team for this entertaining thriller inspired by the real-life exploits of one-time Spanish secret service agent Francisco Paesa. Eduard Fernández stars as the ex-spy, who had been left out in the cold by his government and sees an opportunity to settle some scores when a former Commissioner of Police (Goya winner Carlos Santos) asks him to help hide embezzled millions.

The Invisible Guardian (El Guardián Invisible)

• On Friday, October 20 at 7:30 pm. Buy tickets.
• Double feature with Smoke and Mirrors (El Hombre de las mil Caras) above. Discussion between films with actress Marta Etura and actor Carlos Santos.
• Directed by Fernando González Molina, Spain, 2017, 129 minutes. In Spanish, English and Basque with English subtitles. View trailer.

In one of the most gripping, intricately layered serial killer films of recent memory, detective Amaia Salazar (Marta Etura) is assigned to investigate the death of a teenage girl whose body was found by a river near Salazar’s hometown. The rainy village holds unpleasant childhood memories for the policewoman, but as the scope of her case widens, she must come to terms with the family she left behind while tracking a seemingly insatiable killer.

The Bar (El Bar)

• On Saturday, October 21 at 7:30 pm. Buy tickets.
• Double feature with A Stroke of Luck (Villaviciosa de al lado) below. Discussion following El Bar with director Alex de la Iglesia, plus introduction to A Stroke of Luck by actor Carlos Santos.
• Directed by Álex de la Iglesia, Spain, 2017, 102 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. View trailer.

After a patron is killed by an unknown shooter while attempting to leave a Madrid bar, the remaining customers (among them Blanca Suárez, Mario Casas and Carmen Machi) hunker down –and ultimately turn on each other while trying to figure out how to survive and escape.

A Stroke of Luck (Villaviciosa de al lado)

• On Saturday, October 21 at 7:30 pm. Buy tickets.
• Double feature with The Bar (El Bar) above. Discussion following El Bar with director Alex de la Iglesia, plus introduction to A Stroke of Luck by actor Carlos Santos.
• Directed by Nacho G. Melilla, Spain, 2016, 90 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. View trailer.

Inspired by actual events, this delightful comedy is one of Spain’s biggest box office hits of the year. The small town of Villaviciosa de al Lado is teetering on bankruptcy when salvation arrives in the form of a huge lottery prize and the accompanying national attention. Unfortunately the winning ticket was sold at the local brothel, and the group of men who bought it must concoct a scheme to keep the secret from their wives while claiming the cash.

Frágil Equilibrio

• On Saturday, October 21, at 8:00 pm. Buy tickets.
• Directed by Guillermo García López, Spain, 2016, 83 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. View trailer.

This Goya-winning documentary tells three intertwined stories taking place on three different continents: Japanese executives in Tokyo caught in the vicious cycle of consumerism, a sub-Saharan community in the path of immigrants leaving Africa for Europe and families in Spain who have been destroyed by economic downturn. Told through the words of José Mujica, former president of Uruguay, the film is both a journey through different cultures and an urgent invitation to change.

The Invisible Guest (Contratiempo)

• On Sunday, October 22, at 7:30 pm. Buy tickets.
• Double feature with Rescue Under Fire (Zona Hostil) below. Discussion between films with The Invisible Guest actress Ana Wagener, plus introduction to Rescue Under Fire by director Adolfo Martinez Pérez.
• Directed by Oriol Paulo, Spain, 2016, 106 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. View trailer.

At the center of a locked-room mystery is Adrián Doria (Mario Casas), a successful businessman who has been discovered in a hotel suite with the body of his lover. Charged with murder, he enlists top-notch witness preparation expert Virginia Goodman (Ana Wagener) and as the clock ticks down to the start of Doria’s trial, Goodman’s relentless questioning of her client’s defense brings some troubling inconsistencies to light.

Rescue Under Fire (Zona Hostil)

• On Sunday, October 22, at 7:30 pm. Buy tickets.
• Double feature with The Invisible Guest (Contratiempo) above. Discussion between films with The Invisible Guest actress Ana Wagener, plus introduction to Rescue Under Fire by director Adolfo Martinez Pérez.
• Directed by Adolfo Martínez Pérez, Spain, 2017, 93 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. View trailer.

Inspired by real events that took place in August 2012, this riveting war drama follows a joint U.S.-Spanish convoy stopped by a landmine in northern Afghanistan. While inexperienced Lieutenant Conte (Raul Merida) tries to protect the wounded, Captain Varela (Ariadna Gil) flies a Spanish medical helicopter in to evacuate the soldiers, but it crash lands. Impulsive Commander Ledesma (Antonio Garrido) proposes a risky plan to bring everyone back including the helicopter, but as night approaches, so do Taliban fighters.