Spanish Films
Spain has many talented actors and actresses residing within it and, when combined with award-winning directors you can't go wrong. It's an easy decision wanting to check out some of the finest media that Spain has to offer, which ranges from classic to modern pieces. See Penelope Cruz in one of her finest moments in Volver, or perhaps you're looking for original content in the form of Abre los Ojos, which was later remade as Vanilla Sky. You have the masterpiece of Un Chien Andalou created by surrealist artist Salvador Dali and director Luis Buñuel, who remove all rational thinking from their creation; it's a real contrast and will ignite a passion that you will be excited to explore.
It comes as no surprise therefore that Spanish cinema has been a popular art form for many years, and has had quite an interesting course of development too! From the very beginning of Spanish film, to the most recent blockbusters, Spain has been pioneering in the industry over the years. Below you can find out more about the history of Spanish movies.
Early Spanish movies
The history of film in Spain began at the end of the 19th Century. In 1895, Barcelona held the first film exhibition in Spain. A year later, the cities of Madrid and Barcelona began screening movies by the Lumière brothers, some of the most famous French filmmakers.
The first movies made in Spain appeared in 1897. It is not known which came first, but some of the first Spanish movies were 'Salida de la misa de doce de la Iglesia del Pilar de Zaragoza' (Exit of the Twelve O'Clock Mass from the Church of El Pilar of Zaragoza) by Eduardo Jimeno Peromarta and 'Plaza del puerto en Barcelona' (Plaza of the Port in Barcelona) by Alexandre Promio, amongst others.
One of the first Spanish directors to gain international recognition was Segundo de Chomón. Segundo de Chomón spent a lot of time working in Italy and France, yet still produced some Spanish films such as 'El hotel eléctrico' (The Electric Hotel) (1908).
