Spanish Meter: Four Spanish Films Not to Be Missed!

From September 10 to 17, audiences in Belgrade and Novi Sad will have the chance to see some of the most exciting Spanish films of the past year.

For the first time in the history of Spanish cinema, the Goya Award for Best Spanish Film was shared equally between two titles this February. Both Infiltrada (Undercover) and Line 47 will have their Serbian premieres at this year’s Spanish Meter, organized by the Cervantes Institute.

The festival will open with the gripping thriller Infiltrada, directed by Arantxa Echevarría, which drew more than one and a half million viewers to Spanish cinemas. Based on the true story of Aranzazu Berradre Marín, a National Police agent who spent eight years undercover within the ETA terrorist organization, the film portrays a courageous woman forced to cut all family ties to expose the Donosti unit. It is a story of sacrifice and bravery—of a woman who gave up her own life to save others.

Along with Best Film, actress Carolina Yuste received the Goya for Best Actress for her role. The film became a box office hit, while Echevarría set a record for female Spanish directors in terms of revenue.

Infiltrada will screen in Belgrade’s MTS Hall on September 10 at 19:00, and in Novi Sad’s Cultural Center on September 12 at the same time.

Line 47:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfaG5OXWMEc

Also based on true events, Line 47 has won the Goya, as well as the Gaudí and Forqué awards for Best Film. Director Marcel Barrena brings to the screen a story of peaceful resistance and a neighborhood movement that transformed Barcelona in 1978 and forever changed the face of its suburb Torre Baró.

The plot follows Manolo Vital, a bus driver who took over Line 47 to expose the falsehood repeated by city officials—that buses could not climb the hills of the immigrant neighborhood. His act of defiance became a catalyst for change, a proud assertion of local roots, and an essential part of the working-class struggle that helped shape modern Barcelona in the 1970s.

Line 47 will be screened on September 12 at 21:00 in Belgrade’s MTS Hall.

Audiences drawn to true stories will also appreciate the acclaimed drama I Am Nevenka, about the first woman in Spain to take a powerful politician to court for sexual harassment in the workplace. Directed by Icíar Bollaín—already renowned for her iconic film Take My Eyes, a hard-hitting drama about domestic violence that won seven Goya awards—this new work tells a story set in 2000.

It follows Nevenka Fernández, a young city councillor for finance in Ponferrada, who becomes the target of relentless harassment, both personal and professional, at the hands of the mayor. Used to wielding power unchecked in both politics and private life, he pushes her to the breaking point. Nevenka decides to report him, fully aware of the price she will pay: the community turns its back on her, the media subjects her to a public trial, and she is left without support from those around her.

I Am Nevenka screens in Belgrade on September 14 at 19:00 in MTS Hall, and in Novi Sad the following day at the same time.

For fans of original scripts, family stories, and sharp comedies, the program includes The Burning Cold (La casa en flames) (House on Fire). The protagonist Montse is overjoyed to spend a weekend with her entire family in her home in Cadaqués, on the Costa Brava. Divorced for years, with a former husband who has a new partner and children long immersed in their own lives, Montse has waited too long for this reunion and won’t let anyone ruin it—or dampen her enthusiasm. This weekend will be perfect at any cost… even if she has to burn everything down.

Director Dani de la Orden has created a finely tuned film about family roles and relationships, which opened last year’s Barcelona Film Festival. House on Fire won the Feroz Award for Comedy of the Year, as well as prizes for Best Screenplay and Best Actress. Screenwriter Eduard Sola also received the Goya Award for Best Original Screenplay this year.

Alongside the Spanish films, the Contemporary Cinema program also features productions from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. Belgrade audiences can enjoy these films from September 10 to 15 at MTS Hall.

This year’s Honorary Goya Award program is dedicated to Spanish actress Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, the youngest ever recipient of this recognition by Spain’s Academy of Arts and Film Sciences. Four of her films will be shown on September 16 and 17 at the Yugoslav Film Archive.

🎟️ Tickets for screenings in MTS Hall are priced at 600 RSD, available at the venue box office. Tickets for Novi Sad screenings are 300 RSD at the Cultural Center’s box office, while tickets for screenings at the Yugoslav Film Archive cost 200 RSD.

Spanish Meter is organized by the Cervantes Institute in Belgrade, in cooperation with the embassies of Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, and Spain in Serbia, the embassies of Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru in Hungary, and the Embassy of Chile in Greece.

📍 Full festival program with details on all films and screening schedules: spanskimetar.rs