Un Franco 14 Pesetas

Crossing Borders... is A Spanish-Switzerland comedy released in 2006 that tells the story of two couples of Spanish immigrants in Switzerland in the 1950s based in the autobiographical experience of the actor and director Carlos Iglesias.

This is a very sweet, funny, honest and intimate film about the lives of those Spaniards who migrated to Switzerland and other European countries in the 1950s and 1960s. It is faithful to real events, and shows the issues that affected those people when leaving their country, the pros and cons of being an Spanish emigrant, and of the country of origin and the country of reception. Especially good is the depiction of the feelings of alienation, loneliness, cultural and emotional isolation, distrust by the locals, but also how hard was going back home for those who decided to return and resettle.

All the cast is good in their performances, especially Nieves de Medina as Pilar and Isabel Blanco as Hanna.

The movie is unpretentious, talks about serious issues using comedy, and has heart. I think it will reach immigrants from any part of the world, but also any viewer wanting to see something different from Spain and about Spain recent history.

A must seen movie! If your parents are emigrants or you are the child of emigrants (as in my case) you will be pleased to see your childhood again. In the beginning very funny the film changes to be more and more sad and complex. But this is no problem, it is our life that is like that. If you know Sppain and Switzerland you will be pleased to watch the movie, because it is really very close to reality. Carlos Iglesias I didn't know before I have seen this movie but I am forward to seeing more of his work. I have seen the movie without knowing at all what it would be about and that was absolutely good for me, because I was immediately taken away by the story. I live in Switzerland and my mom's from Spain, so I was kind of privileged to see the movie because I know both countries very well. But I think this is not necessary for every spectator. It is just a very good, very sensitive but also funny movie. Enjoy it!

It was my first Spanish movie and I had no idea what to expect, but I'm so glad I chose it in the end, I found it so much more interesting and entertaining than the other movies i'm used to. I am definitely going to see if I can find some more of Carlos Iglesias - I absolutely loved him.

A wonderful movie, beautifully filmed, with light yet very effective humour. The actors are simply perfect, the story flows at the right pace, and you enjoy the movie from beginning to end. Offers a great contrast between the lives of the Spanish and the swiss in the 1960's. A Spanish must-see.

It is a curious coincidence that a TV comedian, José Corbacho, was behind one of last year's best Spanish films, Tapas, and this year it is again another TV funnyman, Carlos Iglesias, who brings us the cream of the crop. They both became famous on Spanish TV for their absurd, laugh-out-loud comic personas, but have chosen a more cerebral route for their directorial filmic debuts, making comedies with dramatic undertones, and in both cases the results have been artistic triumphs.

Iglesias's little joy of a film, based largely on his own life experiences as the son of Spanish emigrants, is simply delightful in every detail. The story flows along effortlessly and the characters are developed with loving care, and once the film ends one cannot help but want it to go on longer, which is the mark of all good storytelling. I was already a fan of Iglesias in his "Pepelu" times of the 90s, but if the quality of his film career stays at this level, he will surely make us forget his time on TV.

I enjoyed the movie "Un Franco, 14 pesetas," because of the way it explores the topic of emigration from the perspective of the emigrant, and because of the way it combines humor and respect towards the emigrants. I think this movie can be dedicated to all those who have emigrated to another country, but also to those who returned to their own countries, which some times ends up being unexpectedly more difficult than emigrating. These day, when Spain is a country receiving immigrants, this is a unavoidable look into the past: when Spaniards emigrated to more progressive Northern European countries looking for a better life, and leaving a dirty poor country behind. It is a comedy which brought tears to my eyes, not because it was dramatic, but because of its real portray of simple feelings. I think the acting of Carlos Iglesias and Javer Gutierrez was impressive. But the actress that touched me the most was Isabel Blanco as Hanna.