Vente a Alemania, Pepe (Come to Germany, Pepe – 1971)
Directed by Pedro Lazaga
Written by Vicente Coello and Vicente Escrivá
Starring: Alfredo Landa, Tina Sáinz, José Sacristán
BY RAQUEL MARTÍNEZ
Economic crises and unemployment have caused Spanish natives to find work abroad in different periods of recent history. For Spaniards, top European economies (specially Germany) are often regarded as promised lands ̶ places where virtually anyone can get a fairly paid job. Recent films such as Perdiendo el norte (Off-course – Nacho García Velilla, 2014) and Un franco, 14 pesetas (Crossing Borders – Carlos Iglesias, 2006) have provided diverse perspectives on Spanish emigration to Europe. Within this context, the 1970s comedy Vente a Alemania, Pepe (Come to Germany, Pepe – Pedro Lazaga, 1971) is considered the ‘protofilm’ in the popular Spanish imagery. Read More…
El Crack (The Crack, 1981)
Directed by José Luis Garci
Written by José Luis Garci and Horacio Valcárcel
Starring: Alfredo Landa, Miguel Rellán, María Casanova, Raúl Fraire
BY LUIS EZPELETA
The seven-minute set piece which opens 1981’s José Luis Garci´s El Crack powerfully introduces Germán Areta, a tough, heavy-smoking private eye and former police officer nicknamed “ El Piojo” (The Louse). Areta works with his assistant, Cárdenas (Miguel Rellán) a.k.a “El Moro” (“The Moor”) and has a special friendship with an Read More…
Spanish Film Review Club 