Altrincham Spanish Film Weekend at Altrincham Little Theatre
Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
There’s more than a taste of Spain in Altrincham this February as the Instituto Cervantes and Manchester Film Weekender combine to host a full weekend dedicated to Spanish Cinema. Featuring a seven screenings across three days at Altrincham Little Theatre. the Altrincham Spanish Film Weekend should appeal to film fans, language learners and Spanish-speaking folk alike. There’s a broad idea of “journeys” tying the films together, but audiences can expect to get acquainted with some of the best of contemporary Spanish cinema, exploring themes of self-discovery, identity and personal transformation.
Screenings start on Friday 7 February with Iciar Bollaín’s 2003 Te doy mis ojo (Take My Eyes) a complex relationship drama that has been praised for its truthful depiction of the realities of domestic violence. Continuing on Saturday, the highlight is a chance to see Carla Simón’s 2022 Alcarrás, an award-winning Catalan-language film that follows a close-knit family facing an uncertain future in rural Spain. While the pick of Sunday’s screenings is the sumptuous Julieta, an adaptation of three Alice Munro short stories by legendary Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar.
Each of the seven films on show at Altrincham Little Theatre will be accompanied by a introduction and post-screening discussion from either HOME’s Jessie Gibbs, the University of Manchester’s Ana Valbuena, or special guest speaker and curator Dr Carmen Herrero who will lead the weekend. Herrero is a Reader in Hispanic Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University and teaches Hispanis cinema and culture at undergraduate level.
