Posts tagged with "cinema"

Hey, what’s up?

I took some days off during Christmas and New Years and I ended up watching an Argentinean movie, Un Cuento Chino (A Chinese Tale).

Un Cuento Chino tells the story of Roberto, owner of a hardware store, and a Chinese man called Jun. Roberto was sitting at a park when Jun is kicked out of a taxi and asks Roberto for help. Jun doesn’t speak a word of Spanish.

Jun is looking for his tapo (his father’s oldest brother), who is his only family member still alive. Roberto takes him in and helps Jun to look for his uncle. In the meantime, we find out that Roberto is grouchy, has strict living methods and doesn’t own a computer.

I won’t say any more so as not to spoil your fun, but I assure you it’s a very interesting movie. Below you will see the movie trailer (beware! Explicit language in Spanish).

YouTube Preview Image

¿Cuál es la última película que visteis en el cine? El pasado fin de semana yo vi La voz dormida, de una novela de Dulce Chacón. Basada en hechos reales, cuenta la historia de un grupo de mujeres republicanas en una prisión madrileña tras la Guerra Civil Española.

Los críticos dicen que la película, y por supuesto la novela, son tan solo un ejemplo más sobre el mismo tema. El cine español ha estado muy influenciado por el acontecimiento más cruento que sufrió nuestro pais, la guerra fratricida ocurrida entre 1936 y 1939, tras la cual el gobierno de la nación se estableció como una dictadura militar. También se ha criticado por ser narrada desde el lado de los perdedores, como normalmente se hace.

Benito Zambrano como director, Inma Cuesta (famosa por su papel de Margarita en la serie Águila Roja) como Hortensia, una mujer republicana embarazada que espera su juicio, y María León como Pepita, la joven e inocente mocita que viaja a Madrid para ayudar a su hermana, son los nombres ligados a esta película. ¡Debo decir que María León está simplemente fantástica!

No esperéis ver una peli de guerra llena de sangre, disparos y muerte. La historia es más intensa y sobrecogedora. Las voces silenciosas de aquellas valientes mujeres, esperando una dura libertad o la muerte, con tan solo su coraje y su dignidad como consuelo me conmovieron. Tras verla, solo pude preguntarme: ¿habría habido alguna diferencia si la historia hubiese terminado de otra forma? ¿Existe alguna diferencia entre aquellas “rojas” encarceladas hace setenta años en Madrid, y cualquier hombre o mujer inocente encarcelados en cualquier parte del mundo a consecuencia de una guerra? No puedo evitar pensar como Thomas Hobbes, que “el hombre es un lobo para el hombre”.

YouTube Preview Image

What is the last movie you have seen at the cinema? Last weekend I watched La voz dormida (The sleeping voice), from a novel by Dulce Chacón. Based on true events, it depicts the story of a group of Republican women in a Madrid prison after the Spanish Civil War.

Critics say that the film, and obviously the novel,  are just another example about the same topic. Spanish cinema has been deeply influenced by the bloodiest event our country ever suffered, the fratricidal war that took place from 1936 to 1939, after which the nation’s government was established as a military dictatorship.  It also has been criticized for being a recount from the losers’ side, as it is usually done.

Benito Zambrano as the director, Inma Cuesta (famous for her her role of Margarita in the series Aguila Roja) as Hortensia, a pregnat republican woman waiting for her trial, and María León  as Pepita, the young and naive girl who travels to Madrid to help her sister, are the names related to the film. I have to say María is simply wonderful!

Don’t expect to see a war movie full of blood, shootings and death. The story is more intense and heartbreaking. The silent voices of those brave women, waiting for a hard freedom or death, with only their dignity and courage as comfort really touched me. After watching it, I just asked myself: would there had been any difference if the story had had a different ending? Is there any difference between those “red” women imprisoned in Madrid seventy years ago, and any innocent woman or man imprisoned in any part of the world as a consequence of war? I can’t help but think as Thomas Hobbes that “man is a wolf to man”.

“Pocas cosas he aprendido de los hombres…”

(Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja)

Todos estaremos de acuerdo en que una de las principales funciones del cine es entretener. Pero si además de conseguir hacernos pasar un rato agradable nos hace reflexionar, es algo muy de agradecer hoy día.

Nunca fui muy amante del cine español, supongo que porque lo consideraba demasiado limitado, pero poco a poco me voy reconciliando con él. Cada vez hay más directores, nuevas visiones y perspectivas en nuestra producción nacional. Hoy quiero hablaros de la última obra del director Gerardo Olivares, que vi hace pocos días con gran placer, “Entrelobos”.  La protagonizan un niño,  Manuel Camacho, y un joven, Juan José Ballesta, y los acompañan actores de la talla de Sancho Gracia.

Basada en la vida real de Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja, pastor nacido en Córdoba en 1946, la película nos narra cómo de niño fue vendido a un pastor del lugar para cuidar su rebaño. Marcos tenía siete años cuando lo dejaron en la sierra junto a Atanasio, anciano cabrero, y tras la muerte de este pasó doce años de su vida sin volver a tener contacto con otro humano. Siempre hemos considerado al lobo un animal peligroso, fiero, y sin embargo para Marcos fueron su única familia durante aquellos años, y a quienes extraña todavía. Incluso hoy día confiesa no estar adaptado a la sociedad. Ver a este niño convivir con lobos, águilas, búhos reales y un inteligente hurón nos obliga a pensar si quizá al dar la espalda a la naturaleza no estaremos equivocándonos demasiado.

Quizá la película podía explotar más el lado dramático de la historia, como algunos críticos dicen. Yo no lo creo. Mayor presencia humana no habría mejorado la trama. Marcos se integró en la naturaleza, fue como él mismo afirmaba “el rey del valle”, así que en la película sobran las palabras. Y no hacen falta, ya que tú como espectador percibes multitud de sensaciones. La belleza de Sierra Morena, su flora y fauna son un personaje más. Si te gusta la naturaleza, si amas los animales, no dejes de ver esta cinta.  ¡Y por supuesto, no dejes de compartir con nosotros tu impresión sobre ella!

YouTube Preview Image

“Few things I have learned from men… “

We can all agree that one of the main functions of cinema is to entertain. However, if it also makes us think in addition to providing us with a good time, that is something to be grateful for these days.

I have never been a Spanish cinema lover, I suppose because I considered it too limited, but little by little I am being reconciled with it. There are more and more directors, new visions and perspectives in our national production. Today I want to talk about director Gerardo Olivares’ last work, which I watched a few days ago with great pleasure, “Entrelobos”. The main characters are a child, Manuel Camacho, and a young man, Juan Jose Ballesta, accompanied by actors of great stature such as Sancho Gracia.

Based on the life of Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja, a shepherd born in Cordova in 1946, the movie tell the story of how he was sold as a child to a local shepherd to graze his herd. Marcos was seven years old when they left in the mountain with Atanasio, an elderly goatherd, and after the old man’s death he spent twelve years of his life without having any contact with another human being. We have always considered the wolf a dangerous, fierce animal, but for Marcos wolves were his only family during those years, and whom he still misses badly. Even nowadays he confesses not to be adapted to society. To see this child coexist with wolves, eagles, royal owls, and a cunning ferret makes us think that maybe we are too wrong on having turned our back to nature.

Maybe the movie could exploit more the dramatic side of the story, as some critics say. I do not think so. More human presence would not have improved the plot. Marcos integrated with nature, he called himself “the king of the valley”, so in the movie there is no need for words. And they are not needed because you the spectator perceive a multitude of sensations. The beauty of Sierra Morena, its flora and fauna are also characters. If you like nature, if you love animals, make sure you watch this film. And obviously, make sure you share your comments with us!

Hey, there!

Escuchando de Película is this really cool radio show on Multipolar FM and they even have a Youtube channel where you can listen to every week’s shows. The show is broadcast in more than 15 countries all over the world and it’s a very good way to improve your listening skills.

The host is from Argentina and you can get a taste of his accent. Check out a video of how it works and another one talking about the movie The Hobbit.

These videos are specially good when you’re a movie buff and want to learn more about movies and improve your Spanish at the same time!

Espero que les gusten.

YouTube Preview Image YouTube Preview Image

Hola, ¿cómo les va todo?

One of the funniest movies I’ve seen recently is The Hangover, which in Latin America is called Qué Pasó Ayer (What happened yesterday) and in Spain Resacón en Las Vegas (Hangover in Las Vegas). It’s about four friends who go to Vegas to celebrate a bachelor party for Doug (played by Zach Galifianakis). They make a toast on the hotel roof, then the next thing they know, the next morning, is that the groom is missing, there’s a tiger in their room and a baby too.

Now, if you want to know the rest of the story, rent the movie! I was looking at Amazon.com and the DVD brings both subtitles and audio in Spanish, so that’s a great opportunity to practice your listening skills and colloquial Spanish. Remember, it’s not a movie for kids!

A tip for watching movies in Spanish: if you’re watching it in Spanish with the subtitles in Spanish too, take some time and jot down some expressions you find useful, or that are not familiar to you. Review them afterwards, google them, see more examples and eventually make your own sentences using them.

Here’s the trailer of the movie in Spanish (Mexican and Spain).

Mexican

YouTube Preview Image

Spanish

YouTube Preview Image

Espero que les guste el tip. Nos vemos prontito.

Back to the Top