MIENTRAS DURE LA GUERRA / WHILE AT WAR

Salamanca, summer of 1936. Celebrated writer Miguel de Unamuno decides to publicly support the military rebellion in the belief that it will bring order to the prevailing chaos in Spain. He is immediately dismissed as Dean of the University of Salamanca by the left-wing government. Meanwhile, General Francisco Franco adds his troops to the uprising and initiates a successful campaign from the South, secretly plotting to take over sole command of the war. The conflict turns bloody and some of his friends and colleagues are taken away and incarcerated, forcing Unamuno to question his initial support and reconsider his principles. When Franco transfers his headquarters to Salamanca and is named Commander-in-Chief, Unamuno visits his palace, determined to request clemency.

ALEHANDRO AMENABAR / ALEJANDRO AMENÁBAR

Since his directorial debut with Thesis (1996), Alejandro Amenábar (Santiago de Chile, 1972) has managed to reach both audiences and critics. The film was considered the best film of the year by the Academy, and was a huge success among international audiences, winning several awards at international festivals. Barely a year later, his second film, Open Your Eyes (1997), was a huge box office success in Spain and had a wide international release. The film got an American remake, Vanilla Sky, directed by Cameron Crowe. The Others (2001) and The Sea Inside (2004) established him internationally. The Others was his first film in English and was selected at the Venice Film Festival. It received rave reviews and was extraordinarily popular with audiences worldwide. The Sea Inside won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and other 60 international awards. In 2009 Agora was selected at the Cannes Film Festival.