‘La Mancha Negra’ [The Black Stain], Enrique García’s thriller that delves into the darkest secrets of the Cisneros family

La Mancha Negra [The Black Stain], the latest feature-length film by Enrique García, was screened this Tuesday at the Valladolid International Film Festival. The film, which is part of the Spanish Cinema section, was presented to the public by the director in the company of actors such as Natalia Roig, Virginia de Morata, Ignacio Nacho and Juanma Lara, as well as producers Dylan Moreno and José Antonio Redondo.

“It’s a piece that took a long time to make and that, when it ends, leaves the audience spinning, so I hope you suffer from that!” said García, who described it as “a pressure cooker” that, until the last frame, leaves the viewer “anchored” in his armchair. The film, produced by Marila Films, brings us back to the year 1971 in Aljarria, a small town in southern Spain.

With the participation of Pablo Puyol, Virginia De Morata, Natalia Roig, Juanma Lara, Cuca Escribano, Virginia Muñoz, Noemí Ruíz and Aníbal Soto, La Mancha Negra focuses on the death of Mrs. Matilde Cisneros, which brings together, during her wake, her three daughters, Modesta, Manuela and Mercedes, and her eldest son Eugenio. Needing to collect his share of the inheritance, Eugenio is forced to return to the village from which he had had to flee fifteen years earlier.

The feature film delves into the hatred, resentment, frustration and the darkest secrets of the Cisneros family that come to light in front of the body of their departed mother. “It was a film that cost us a lot to make, both financially and in terms of perspiration to be able to turn the whole thing around,” said Redondo.

Natalia Roig expressed her gratitude to the filmmaker and the producers for allowing her to explore an unknown world. “I play a character that’s very different from me, very dramatic and with a lot of weight,” says the actress from Malaga. Adding to that, Virginia de Morata mentioned that recording the audiovisual piece was “hard” work but, despite that, “it has been a pleasure to share the film with the colleagues who are in the room today and with those who are missing.”

Both the producers and the actors, as well as the director, showed their gratitude to the festival, but, above all, to the audience, for accompanying them during the afternoon of October 25th at the screening of the thriller. “We come from Malaga and we are freaking out, feeling that sensation of love with what we are experiencing here at Seminci,” said the director. “I hadn’t been here before, but I’m discovering a beautiful city,” he added.

Actor Ignacio Nacho expressed his delight at being part of the festival: “I’ve wanted to come here ever since I started liking cinema, and that’s practically since I was born,” he said. In a similar tone, the final comments were made by producer Dylan Moreno, who closed the presentation by dedicating the film to the audience.

La Mancha Negra will be screened again on Thursday 28th at Broadway Cinemas at 4:15pm.