Melodies and images join hands in the programme of the
XII Film and Music Season in Alcalá de Henares. The season will be held
from the 20th to the 24th of February in the Teatro Salón Cervantes. It is composed of ten pieces representative of the latest crop of cinematography. Acknowledged success stories alongside small-scale and nurtured productions to create
a fascinating collage of images and sound.
The Season begins on
Wednesday the 20th at 18.30 with the screening of
'Half Moon'.
Bahman Ghobadi's film depicts the life of an old Kurdish musician who set offs on a journey accompanied by his ten children to Iraqi Kurdistan where he intends to give a concert. The fall of Saddam Hussein's regime has made the situation easier, but his wish to perform with a woman complicates matters.
'Four Minutes' will then be shown the same evening at 21.00. It gently portrays the relationship between an old pianist and an unruly female inmate she gives music classes to in a German jail.
On
Thursday the 21st of February there is a cinematic double bill. First off on the TSC's big screen will be the French film
'The Page Turner' by
Denis Dercourt, which reflects on the importance of music in the life of a young girl called Mélanie. The second film of the day comes from Ireland;
'Once' by
John Carney, where restrained love, street melodies and unexpected friendships form a compelling mosaic which has been of one of the sensations of this season's cinema.
'The Silence Before Bach', directed by
Pere Portabella, will be shown on the TSC's big screen on
the 22nd. The German composer is at the heart of this Spanish-made feature-length film. At 21.00 the heartbreaking voice of
Edith Piaf will resonate around the stalls of the theatre.
'La Vie en Rose', biopic of the French singer, depicts the complex life of an artist marked by a difficult and troubled childhood.
Weekend of music and film
The weekend kicks off on
Saturday the 23rd with
'Fados', a Spanish/Portuguese co-production directed and scripted by
Carlos Saura. The film completes a trilogy made by the filmmaker on modern urban music, which also includes 'Flamenco' and 'Tango'. The second session of the day is for
Adam Shankman's 'Hairspray', in which comedy, delirium and music go hand in hand.
The
XII Film and Music Season comes to a conclusion on
Sunday the 24th of February.
'Last Days' will be screened at 18:00 in the evening. The film describes the last moments of the life of the musician
Kurt Cobain, leader of the group Nirvana. And at 21.00 it is the turn of
'Across the universe', a romantic musical set in the turbulent decade of the sixties.