This Thursday, the official Out of Competition section hosted the premiere of the second feature film by director and producer Guillermo Rojas. Four years after the release of Una vez más (2020), the Cordovan filmmaker immerses us in an intriguing political comedy that explores the experiences of a group of labour lawyers during the intense day of 23 February 1981, a crucial milestone for Spanish democracy. 

The film, starring a cast that includes Pablo Gómez Pando, Andrea Carballo, Beatriz Arjona, Félix Gómez, Alfonso Sánchez and Paula Usero, offers a plot inspired by family experiences, as Rojas pointed out during the talk following the premiere.

The project, which has been several years in the making, is a reflection of the director’s persistent desire to tell a powerful story about 23F. The story, which was initially conceived as a novel, evolved over time into a film script, becoming a kind of time machine that transports the director to a bygone era. 'For me, it was a journey to the past, to a time I didn’t live through, but one which allows me to experience the same place as the people I love so much,' said Rojas, referring to his parents.

During the post-screening discussion, the actors shared their experiences of creating their characters, highlighting Pablo Gómez Pando’s painstaking research into the period through his relatives and the night of 23F. Paula Usero mentioned the character played by Pepa Flores as her greatest inspiration to provide the depth and innocent look of her character.

The Summer Films production company, owned by Rojas himself, was grateful for the opportunity to participate in a project that pays tribute to a crucial moment in Spanish history. Laura Hojman, the film’s producer, expressed her gratitude for participating in a project that remembers her parents, while Olmo Figueredo, co-producer, recalled the emotional impact when Rojas shared the original story with him.

The entire production team has emphasised the positive shooting experience, despite the cold temperatures during the four weeks of filming in Utrera and Priego de Córdoba. The film, which is based on eyewitness accounts, as the majority of the actors were not alive at the time, transports the viewer, through political comedy, to one of the most transcendental events in Spanish political history.