El 47

I just saw the movie El 47. I can recommend it to you. It's emotional and joyful at the same time, based on historical data and there is a lot of recognition fir anyone who lived in Barcelona in the '70's and beyond.

It is also a multilayered movie, in fact very actual if we think of all the migrant issues everywhere in the world. Maybe after seeing this movie even the most right wing people may understand that everyone may at some point need to leave our home turf and start somewhere else, build up an existance with few resources and find a way of recognition. In the end the people who are motivated to assimilate and to contribute to a healthy society deserve to be recognized and welcomed.

Inspired on the true story of Manolo Vital (Eduard Fernández), who lives with faithful wife Carme (Clara Segura) and her beloved daughter Joana (Zoe Benafonte) at a isolated slum in Barcelona outskirts. Manolo is a bus driver who helped create the modern Barcelona during the 1970s city's boom. A home. An autobús. El destí d'un barri.

Nominated for 14 Goya Awards, after Meditarreneo, Eduard Fernandez returns with director and screenwriter Marcel Barrena in this ¨El 47¨, a social drama set in the seventies that tells the story of a committed man, a bus and a neighborhood that fought to change its destiny. Along with Fernández, the film stars Clara Segura (Creature), Zoe Benafonte (Scandal Portrait of an Obsession), Salva Reina (La Isla Minima), Carlos Cuevas (Merli: Sapere aude), Oscar de La Fuente (La Casa) and the special collaboration of David Verdaguer (Saben aquel). The film is based on real events. In fact, the main character, driver Manolo Vital/Eduard Fernández, lived in that neighborhood and actually fought and obtained the bus line. The character of Pasqual(Carlos Cuevas) allegedly represents the future mayor of Barcelona, Pasqual Maragall, who later was also president of Catalonia's Government. They also participate as neighbors of the Torre Baró neighborhood, direct witnesses of the challenge to the authorities carried out in 1978.

However, the story seems very long and at times you get bored and you abandon yourself to sleep, the only thing that keeps some interest is the well-intentioned performances of a good cast who truly shine, especially the main actor, the great Eduardo Fernández. I understand that it is not a film for the general public who cannot afford to spend 8 or 9 euros at the cinema (or whatever is available in each province) to endure and suffer the minimal events that occur in approximately two hours, so that in a few months they will also show it on TVE 2 in the early hours of the morning. That is, the last twenty minutes when the rebellion of the driver and the conscientious objectors finally takes place, the film soars to great heights thanks to the sensitivity, camaraderie and team spirit shown by all. But to get there we have had to endure continuous rants, complaints and tiresome discussions. In addition, the film is spoken mostly in Catalan, I would ask that the possibility of dubbing into Spanish be added, as the average viewer, by tradition (the same as those fiilms translated from English) likes to hear them in the Castilian language and not make an additional effort to read subtitles.

It displays Issac Villa's evocative cinematography creating an adequate environment and shot on the actual locations. As well as Arnau Ballester's sensitiv and sensitive musical score. The motion picture was professionally directed by Marcel Barrera, although it feels very long, and somewhat heavy to follow. Marcel won Gaudí Award with his movie debut, the acclaimed TV movie "Cuatro estaciones". Nominated for Goya Awards for the Best Documentary for his first movie for theaters. In fact , "Món Petit" is one of the most successful documentaries in Spanish cinema. His first three movies (one for television and two for cinemas) has been awarded by the Catalan Academy with the Gaudí Award. His two movies for cinemas, "Món petit" and "100 metros" has been nominated for the Spanish Academy, Goya Awards. "Món petit" is considered one of the best documentaries in Spanish cinema. While ¨Mediterraneo¨ won following awards : Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain 2022 Winner Solidarity Medal Fiction : Marcel Barrena. El 47 rating: 5.5/10.

El 47 brings to life a little-known yet essential chapter of Spanish history, narrating the peaceful rebellion of a working-class neighborhood in the late 1970s. Marcel Barrena directs with a sense of clarity and emotional honesty, allowing the story to unfold without unnecessary embellishments.

Eduard Fernández delivers a phenomenal performance, embodying the spirit of an everyday hero with naturalness and conviction. His portrayal feels authentic and deeply rooted in the community he represents, making his character's struggle both relatable and inspiring. The film's setting and period reconstruction effectively transport the audience to the post-Franco transition, although some aspects of the historical context could have been explored in more depth.

While El 47 may not surprise with its structure, it compensates with sincerity and heart, offering a powerful reminder of the importance of collective action. The film stands out as a testament to resilience, a piece of cinema that values the people behind historical change as much as the events themselves.