The third day of Cinema Cocina at the Festival de Málaga was marked by two works that connect wine, history, and territory from very different perspectives. The Echegaray Theatre hosted the screening of the Official Competition short films Montse. La penúltima bodega and Piedra a piedra, two works that the audience watched while enjoying Dimobe vermouth, Aloreña PDO olives, and Ardales potato chips.
 
Montse. La penúltima bodega, by Jordi Busquets, David Salvador and Víctor Solsona, transports the viewer to Barcelona's Raval district to explore Bodega Montse, a space with over 130 years of history that has withstood the test of time under the management of Xavi Quintano. The short film offers an everyday portrait of the place through the characters who visit it.
 
Meanwhile, Piedra a piedra, by Javier Vicente Caballero, traces the history of the Bodegas El Grifo winery in Lanzarote, which emerged after the 18th-century volcanic eruptions that transformed the landscape and forced a reinvention of viticultural practices. The piece connects the geological, cultural, and human dimensions of the territory, also addressing the current challenges facing the sector in the face of climate change.
 
After the screenings, the audience participated in a discussion with Víctor Solsona and David Salvador, the directors of Montse. La penúltima bodega; and Javier Vicente Caballero, director of Piedra a piedra; and José Antonio Galán, marketing manager of El Grifo, the winery featured in the short film.
 
For Solsona, seeing his short film "on the big screen and with an audience is always exciting". He also explained that they are always searching for that essence that fades away, and that they found in Bodega Montse a place where they believed there was a story to tell. The idea, he added, was to film on an ordinary day.
 
Regarding the location, David Salvador added that it is “a winery of resilience that refuses to adapt to its potential customers because it already has its customers. Its essence is more important than economics".
 
In the case of Lanzarote's wine region, the director of Piedra a piedra highlighted: "Tourists come to Lanzarote and see all that beautiful scenery, but we wanted people to understand all the work that goes into it. We wanted to pay tribute to all those people.
 
The short documentary has resulted in a portrait of the history of Bodegas El Grifo, a landmark winery on the island. As José Antonio Galán explained: “You can’t imagine how difficult it is to produce wine in such an impossible place. It’s many years, very hard work. With a very unexpected crop that has thrived thanks to a very professional team”.
 
As always, during the discussion, attendees enjoyed a tasting of products related to the films, this time a 2018 Malvasía Lías wine from El Grifo and Málaga goat cheese from La Flor del Torcal.
 
Cinema Cocina continues this Tuesday with the screening of the feature film La sombra del nogal, by Manuel García Gil, as part of the official competition.