The UNESCO Valladolid City Of Film Gala celebrates three years of Ciudad de Cine with the screening of “Voy a pasármelo bien” (I’m Going To Have Fun)

The Teatro Zorrilla also hosted the screening of the short films Dajla: cine y olvido, by Arturo Dueñas, and Nacional 106, by Juan Carrascal-Ynigo

This Wednesday, 26th October, the Teatro Zorrilla hosted the second edition of the UNESCO Valladolid City of Film Gala, an event within the framework of the Film Week celebrating Valladolid’s designation three years ago as a UNESCO Creative Cities Network City of Film. The Gala screened the feature film Voy a pasármelo bien, by director and screenwriter David Serrano, shot in the streets of Valladolid to the rhythm of the songs of Hombres G, as well as the short films Dajla: cine y olvido, by Arturo Dueñas, and Nacional 106, by Juan Carrascal-Ynigo and Arturo Artal.

The event was attended by authorities, filmmakers and other guests such as the Councillor for Culture and Tourism of Valladolid City Council, Ana Redondo; the head of the Tourism Promotion Department and Focal Point of Burgos UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, Raquel Puente Robles, and Gary MacMahon, Director of Economic Development, Community and Culture of Galway City Council (Ireland), who shared their experiences related to UNESCO awards in different areas.

The Councillor for Culture said that this recognition gave them a boost. “This recognition had several implicit objectives that have already been achieved or are almost all in the process of being achieved”. She highlighted the creation of talent and meetings so that creators can hold joint projects throughout the year. “We have put our batteries to the test and it has boosted us even more, although Valladolid has always been a point of reference in the world of film”.

Along the same lines, Raquel Puente¸ representing Burgos, UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, a recognition it obtained in 2015, said that it was “a revulsive, as well as a gastronomic challenge”. “It has been a reason to continue working and to launch outside Spain”.

For his part, MacMahon, who explained that Galway obtained UNESCO City Of Film recognition in 2014, pointed out that the city “has brought to the world great artists, actors…; it is a small city, but despite this we are still going strong”. “It has given us a great key culturally speaking that we use to develop in an educational, social and human way”.

I’m going to have a good time

The film’s director David Serrano said that shooting the film in Valladolid was full of advantages compared to the scenes that were filmed in Madrid. “Here everything was easy; everything we wanted we got”, he said before stating that the spectator also appreciates enjoying different locations. “It’s important that we don’t always shoot in Madrid and that we go out to other cities. “It’s a breath of fresh air”, he said during the presentation of the film.

The film stars David and Layla, two young people who have just started the eighth grade of E.G.B. and like Hombres G. They also like each other very much, but because David’s friends give him such bad advice, all the things he does to win her over always end up being a failure. In spite of everything, the two become inseparable and get into bigger and bigger trouble, and even sometimes, when they are together, the urge to sing and dance to the songs of their favourite group is so strong that they start doing it in the middle of the street. And that’s because they’re having fun. Very good.

Dakhla: cinema and oblivion

“The support received from Valladolid City Of Film, at the time of distribution, has allowed this short film to compete on equal terms with titles from other cities”, said Arturo Dueñas, who was very grateful for having had the opportunity to present it in Valladolid, since, as he explained, “15 days ago it was being presented in a refugee camp in Algeria; it is as if the two places were somehow linked”.

The short film takes place in Dakhla, one of the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, forgotten for 45 years. A film festival, the Fisahara, breaks the monotony. The event ends, life (and oblivion) goes on.

National 106

Juan Carrascal Iñigo, who has thanked Valladolid for the facilities offered to film in the city, has presented his short film Nacional 106, whose main theme is male violence. A car runs off a national road. The Guardia Civil is ready to help, but it is something more dangerous than a mechanical breakdown. The Guardia Civil corporal, Julia García, has to decide whether to lie to her sergeant to help the owner of the car or to follow the rules.