Vineyard care over the years and snails as an iconic dish of Cordova’s gastronomy are the pillars of the documentaries screened this Tuesday, 5th March, at ‘Cinema Cocina’. The cycle included the screening of the short film El caracol y su entorno and the feature documentary Villa Málaga. El tiempo de un vino, in which the pairing of the two took centre stage.

The Teatro Echegaray was the setting for a talk in which the directors and protagonists reflected on family legacy and its continuity. In the case of Marta Murillo, director of El caracol y su entorno, she explained 'how the world of snails isn’t known outside of Cordova, but there they’re consumed a lot, and play a big role', as well as pointing out that she managed to unite her two passions in the project: cinema and gastronomy. For his part, Rafael Moreno Rojas, professor at the University of Cordova, who was present at the screening, emphasised the family nature of the recipe: 'Even the children are given a small table to eat them, and going to the fields to find and eat them afterwards is a special occasion'.

Malaga wine and its preservation also featured in this Tuesday’s round table, led by Eterio Ortega and Stefan Persili, director and protagonist of Villa Málaga. El tiempo de un vino, a journey that connects Switzerland with Malaga through a historical wine tasting. After the screening, Ortega stressed that 'beyond what Malaga wine is in itself, which is wonderful, there’s a whole identity, a way of being that wasn’t made overnight, but over the centuries, and that needs to be preserved'.

With an eye to the future, Persili – the guide throughout the film – pointed out 'the enormous potential of Malaga wines, which should return to their rightful place and become one of the most famous in the world'. To this reflection, he added some anecdotes to contextualise its importance in Europe back in 1800: 'after the death of a famous German philosopher, 30 bottles of champagne, 30 bottles of Burgundy and 60 bottles of Malaga were found in his cellar. That says it all'.

Throughout the film, Stefan visits the vineyards of some of Malaga wineries, including Bentomiz and the Bodega Antonio Muñoz Cabrera (Dimobe), whose representative Juan Muñoz took part in the talk, recalling his childhood in the countryside, in the vineyard, and stressing the importance of continuing to work and to promote the preservation of the wine-growing region among the youngest. 

The tasting was rounded off with Zumbral wine as an apéritif followed by Cordoban snails in broth paired with Ariyanas de Bentomiz wine.

‘Cinema Cocina’ continues for another day, this Wednesday 6 March, with the screening of Amas da terra, which will be attended by the chef Lucía Freitas and Binu, història de dues estrelles, whose protagonists will also be present during the tasting and round table.