• Box office: Covid sinks the Spanish cinema box office to the worst record in history

The data is stubborn.

And sometimes they kick.

It is well known that the screen share of Spanish cinema in the disastrous 2020 (the worst in history at the box office since there are records) reached a more than remarkable 25% thanks almost exclusively to a movie: the

13 million

raised by

Padre no there are more than one 2,

by Santiago Segura, they accounted for a third of all that Spanish cinema was capable of represented, profession by profession, at the Film Academy.

It is a data.Other: when, tr

As a result of the confinement, the cinemas finally opened and demanded (almost begged) the Spanish production companies films with which to bring the public to theaters, they were met with the refusal of Telecinco Cinema, which, unlike Segura, took everything out of the calendar. his: popular comedy

Shrimp operation,

by Carlos Therón;

zombie rave

Malnazidos,

by Javier Ruiz Caldera, and the

thriller

with international cast

Way down

by Jaume Balagueró.

The Federation of Cinemas of Spain (FECE) protested and outside the microphone (also inside) did not hesitate to talk about «

treason

And now the kick.

Last Monday the nominations were announced and the academics, those who work in the cinema, decided to leave the counter of the film that has saved their face to zero and rose to the top with

13 nominations

(which even got to be 14 during a notarial oversight) to

Adu

, the Salvador Calvo film that went to the theaters before confinement and produced by

Telecinco Cinema.

"The approach I made was: the cinemas are open with all the recommended security measures, but they do not have a product, and I have a film ready for consumption in theaters," says Segura exclusively focused on his own and without paying attention to controversies .

And he continues: «What did I have to do?

Leave it unworn?

I felt bad.

It seemed a bit selfish to save it for a better time.

It seemed fair and logical to accompany the cinemas in their

risk

».

Cinemas, for their part, limit themselves to offering the data and thanking Segura for giving them the film that he demonstrated once again, in the words of

Borja Benito, FECE spokesperson

, "That when there are movies that interest people go."

"In any case, it is not the first time that has happened," adds Benito. Indeed, the passage of Segura's work and his very blockbuster deliveries of Torrente (up to 5) by the Goya can be described as very discreet: only with the first (

Torrente, the stupid arm of the law)

he was recognized with the Goya for best new direction.

It is true that the Academy Awards are not to highlight commercial success, but the other.

And that year after year the idea has always been to value other cinema outside the most common and popular patterns.

However, everything in 2020 is anomalous enough that the usual rules do not apply.

First, the cinema has hardly been seen this year (the Goya ceremony runs the risk of being an enigma for the average spectator) and, second, the favorite,

Adu

, play in the category of

Father there is no more ...

in terms of popularity.

No wonder it is the sixth most watched film

.

Did the academics really find no category in which to include the Segura film?

Perhaps the critically acclaimed

Loles Leon

as a supporting actress or the music of Roque Baños nominated this year for her work but not in

Father there is only one 2

but in ...

Adu

.

Another kick. «If the movie hadn't worked, I think I would always have been in doubt ... But there are decisions you make without thinking about possible

regrets

», Concludes Segura.

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