The 5 Minutos section concluded on Friday 21 March with a preview of three projects that will be presented soon and about which we were able to talk to some of their leading characters. This is the end of this window of the 28th Festival de Málaga, which in this edition featured a total of 15 films.

The venue for all the sessions was the Rectorate of the UMA. On this last day, the selected projects were 'James Douglas. El hombre con dos corazones', 'Jornaleros: el mal patrón' and 'Hora y veinte', by directors Kike Mesa, Sergio Rodrigo and Marc Romero, respectively.

‘James Douglas. El hombre con dos corazones', the hero of Scottish independence
 
The 5 Minutos session on Friday 21 March began with the presentation of the new project by the renowned filmmaker Kike Mesa, who on this occasion has gone back in time to document the figure of James Douglas. The hero of Scottish independence in the War of Independence played a crucial role in the fight against the British, becoming a symbol of his country's resistance.
 
The session began with the arrival of the director at 'Douglas' Day', which is celebrated every August in Teba, the municipality in Malaga where the knight lost his life and where his tomb is located. On discovering the historical figure embodied by the leading character of his new work, Kike Mesa acknowledged that "it was a turning point".
 
Accompanying him at the presentation were Manuel López Mestanza, deputy for Culture of the Diputación de Málaga; Cristóbal Corral, mayor of the municipality of Teba, and Isidoro Otero, historian who has collaborated in the documentation of this new feature film.

"I think it is history and this space is of historical singularity", acknowledged the director about both the figure of James Douglas and the town of Malaga, which he confirmed "is so big and so strong that we often don't realise the relevance of the event".

"We filmmakers have to nourish ourselves with people who know a lot", emphasised Kike Mesa, who wanted to highlight the collaboration of Teba and the support of the Diputación de Málaga.

For his part, Cristóbal Corral, mayor of Malaga, supported the director of this documentary in his aim to "highlight the culture and history of the country". Meanwhile, thanks to this initiative, his town has been able to "bring together history, heritage, music and cinema".

"It is a joy to present this project by people who love cinema and who love history. Thanks also to these projects and cultural actions, identity is preserved and the effects of depopulation are combated", said the deputy about one of the problems affecting some areas of the province of Malaga.

‘Jornaleros: el mal patrón’ puts the spotlight on caciquism
 
The second round of this day of 5 Minutes was used to present a practically finished project: ‘Jornaleros: el mal patrón', a documentary whose plot is based on the real case of the disappearance of a Senegalese day labourer during the olive harvest, an event that has moved the Andalusian town of Villacarrillo (Jaén).
 
"This work was born out of the journalistic need to tell what is happening around us," said Sergio Rodrigo, the film's director, during the presentation. He was joined by Lucía Muñoz, deputy director and producer; Leire Airez, screenwriter; Isabel Cabrera, deputy director of Canal Sur, and Leonardo Sardiña, head of the RTVA Film Department.
 
"Day labourers is a local story, but with a very universal character, which not only happens in the countryside, but also in other sectors", confessed Lucía Muñoz, member of the production company EntreFronteras and the person responsible for carrying out this project. Together with the screenwriter, she narrated "the massive spider web of characters" they had to develop in a work of "great documentation".
 
"Canal Sur is committed and responsible television with the purpose of defining Andalusia", said Isabel Cabrera, who also stressed the importance of "denouncing and putting the spotlight on cases that do not represent our region. We have to guarantee people's labour rights, especially in a place like Andalusia,".
 
For his part, the head of RTVA's Cinema department supported his colleague in the process, assuring that it will be broadcast in prime time on RTVA's media channels: "There is a lot of documentary film but there is little journalistic documentary like the work of Sergio and Lucía, with such rigour and social force".
 
‘Hora y veinte', the new feature film by Marc Romero
 
To conclude the 5 Minutos section at this 28th Festival de Málaga, 'Hora y veinte' was presented, directed by Marc Romero, who after '75 días' (2022) and 'Mi mamá me mima' (2023) has embarked on the third feature film of his career.
 
After a screening of a short preview, the director was accompanied by the renowned actress Macarena Gómez, who stars in the film, and Salva Reina, recent winner of a Goya award and producer of this project with his company La Cochera.
 
The plot of this suspense drama revolves around a woman with a dark past who will go to any length to find her kidnapped son in a shopping mall on Christmas Eve.
"The suffering you see on screen is real," the director acknowledged about some of the scenes shown. He also highlighted the role of Macarena Gómez, who said that she "likes everything and absorbs the energy of the character" she plays.

"We want a film with a message, but one that can also be enjoyed," said the director, who commented that the project is in post-production, finalising the details of music and colour.

Meanwhile, Salva Reina explained why he joined this project after reading what he thought was "a fast-paced script, with many twists and turns".