Matji's 'Hours' gets fest slot
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Toplining Emma Suarez ("Earth") and Alberto San Juan ("The Other Side of the Bed"), produced by Spain's Sogecine and exec produced by La Fiesta, "Hours" charts the growing relationship between a long-time prison inmate, who's doing time for a triple murder, and the 40-year-old prison nurse.
Although the festival looks set to have only one competition film by a Spanish helmer, it is strong as ever in Spanish-Latin American co-productions, boasting three this year from prominent Latin-American auteurs: Argentina's Carlos Sorin ("Bombon - El Perro" ) and Adolfo Aristarain ("Roma" ) and Colombia's Victor Gaviria ("Sumas y restas").
A rare figure in Spain's film industry -- an admired screenwriter -- Matji has co-written many acclaimed films over four decades, including Mario Camus' emotive maqui drama "The Days of the Past" (1978) and his searing portrait of Spain's abused rural class "Holy Innocents" (1984) and Fernando Trueba's "The Mad Monkey" (1990), toplining Jeff Goldblum, which for many critics still remains Trueba's best film.
All these films have a strong sense of character and a high emotional charge and turn on the struggle for dignity, despite adverse circumstances.
An occasional director, Matji also helmed "La guerra de los locos" (1986), a wrenching, if little seen, portrait of Spain's Civil War.
The 52nd San Sebastian fest runs Sept. 17-25.
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