Spanish Film Day: 7 mesas (de billar francés)

The fourth edition of Spanish Film Day, to be held on October 6, is presented as the consolidation of an event that aims to raise awareness of the importance of Spanish film heritage as an essential part of contemporary culture.

For the first time, the film selected to commemorate this day is directed by a woman. It is 7 mesas (de billar francés), the fifth feature film by Gracia Querejeta, a filmmaker who belongs to a family that is an essential reference in Spanish cinema.

This family melodrama recovers all the ingredients of the concern for human relationships that Spanish cinema has maintained throughout its history. With a great cast headed by actresses Maribel Verdú and Blanca Portillo, the film's story of solidarity and self-improvement shows a way of life that underlines women's ability to reinvent themselves in times of crisis.

The neighborhood life setting makes the billiard tables that title this cinematographic work become an icon that symbolizes a world that is resistant to the onslaught of the fluid life we seem to live today. The struggle to rescue and revive these spaces of co-existence results in a hymn to the preponderance of public space and its inestimable value for citizenship.

The film had a remarkable national and international tour: in addition to its presence in different festivals, the actresses Maribel Verdú and Amparo Baró were awarded the Goya Awards for best female lead and supporting actress, respectively.

7 mesas (de billar francés), produced and premiered in the 21st century, forces us to think that heritage continues to be created at all times in the cinematographic sphere, where production continues to be a significant reference in the life of the spectators

Sinopsis: Angela and her son Guille travel to the big city due to the sudden illness of Leo, her father and his grandfather. When they arrive, Leo has just died. Charo, the deceased's lover, informs Angela about the ruin of her father's business: a place where seven French billiard tables are lined up. For Charo, the only solution to the debt is to sell. Shortly afterwards, Angela learns that her husband has disappeared under obscure circumstances. From this painful reality, Angela is determined to move forward and rebuild her life. And the first thing she decides to do is to use her savings to restart the old seven-table restaurant.