El bar

The Bar
It’s a morning just like any other on one of Madrid’s popular squares. A few passers-by are sitting in a bar having a quick breakfast while others enjoy their first drink of the day. Suddenly, one of the customers is shot in the head and killed as he is leaving the bar. Another customer rushes to his aid but he too is fatally wounded and collapses on the street. Horrified, everyone tries to make sense of the incomprehensible events. Why are there suddenly no people in the square in front of the bar? Is there a sniper on one of the adjoining roofs who is firing at anyone who appears in his sights? Or could the perpetrator be in the bar itself? Anyone here could be the murderer and anyone their next victim.
Álex de la Iglesia trains his lens on a group of people in an extreme situation which leaves them no choice but to discover who they really are. Caught between blind terror and confidence, egotism and solidarity, they struggle to survive amidst outbursts of greed, hatred and helpfulness. The bar, its basement rooms and Madrid’s underground passageways become the setting of a story that oscillates between thriller and very black comedy.
by Álex de la Iglesia
with Blanca Suárez, Mario Casas, Carmen Machi, Secun de la Rosa, Jaime Ordóñez, Terele Pávez, Joaquín Climent, Alejandro Awada
Spain 2017 Spanish 102’ Colour

With

  • Blanca Suárez (Elena)
  • Mario Casas (Nacho)
  • Carmen Machi (Trini)
  • Secun de la Rosa (Satur)
  • Jaime Ordóñez (Israel)
  • Terele Pávez (Amparo)
  • Joaquín Climent (Andrés)
  • Alejandro Awada (Sergio)

Crew

Director Álex de la Iglesia
Screenplay Jorge Guerricaechevarría
Cinematography Ángel Amorós
Editing Domingo González
Music Joan Valent, Carlos Riera
Sound Design Sergio Burmann
Sound Nicolás de Poulpiquet
Production Design José Luis Arrizabalaga, Arturo García
Costumes Paola Torres
Make-Up José Quetglas
Assistant Director Pablo Atienza
Casting Pilar Moya
Production Manager José Luis Jiménez
Producers Carolina Bang, Kiko Martínez, Mikel Lejarza, Mercedes Gamero, Álex de la Iglesia
Executive Producers Carolina Bang, Kiko Martínez

Produced by

Pokeepsie Films

Nadie es Perfecto

Atresmedia Cine

Álex de la Iglesia

Born in Bilbao, Spain in 1965. A director and screenwriter, he studied philosophy at the University of Deusto. His debut feature Acción mutante was produced by Pedro Almodóvar. His second film El día de la bestia (The Day of the Beast) received six Goya Awards. Balada triste de trompeta (The Last Circus) won Best Director and Best Screenplay awards at Venice. He has been producing his own films since 2002 and was president of the Spanish Film Academy from 2009 to 2011. His feature La chispa de la vida (As Luck Would Have It) screened in the Berlinale Special in 2012.

Filmography

1993 Acción mutante 1995 El día de la bestia (The Day of the Beast) 1997 Perdida durango 1999 Muertos de risa (Dying of Laughter) 2000 La comunidad (Commonwealth) 2002 800 Balas 2004 Crimen ferpecto 2008 Los crímenes de Oxford (The Oxford Murders) 2011 La chispa de la vida 2013 Las brujas de Zugarramurdi (Witching & Bitching) 2015 Messi · Mi gran noche (My Big Night) 2017 El bar (The Bar) · Perfectos desconocidos

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2017