24/06/2005

Spain had a positive year in 2004 with admissions in the box office increasing from 636 millions in 2003 to 681,7 millions. This is one of the (positive) conclusions to be found in the "Anuario SGAE 2005", recently published by the Fundación Autor and SGAE (Sociedad General de Autores y Editores). The seventh volume in a series, considered as a reference by all those studying the cultural industry, gathers all the basic statistical data on Spanish cultural activities (performing arts, music and audiovisual arts) in 2004.
Despite the positive tone of the figures above, 2004 was actually a contradictory year for Spanish film. Although admissions increased, it is not enough to boost local production. Among the 681,7 millions, 70,1% refers to American productions while only 13,5% represents local production, which decreased compared to 2003 (15,8%).
Alejandro Amenabar's heavily honoured The Sea Inside [+see also:
trailer
film profile], was the most successful film in the box office and the only European production to appear in the box office Top 5. The story of the Ramón Sanpedros’ battle to die reaches third position (after Shrek2 y Troya) with 3.995.469 admissions. The other national films that made a splash in the box office are Chema de la Peña's Isi & Disi, Miguel Courtois's El Lobo, Pedro Almodóvar's A Bad Education [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Alex de la Igesia's Crimen Perfecto.

These disappointing figures have been announced at a time when the film industry is buzzing due to the new projects by well-known directors. And it is not only Almodóbar, who shoots his new film, Volver, from July in Madrid and La Mancha, since the Summer will also see the return of Julio Medem behind the cameras after his latest opus, the unexpected political documentary Pelota Vasca. Medem will shoot Caótica Ana with María Valverde (Goya for the best promising actress for La Fuerza del Bolchevique) in Madrid, Ibiza and Nueva York. In Barcelona the shooting of Salvador will start soon. The Mediapro production will be directed by Manuel Huerga and will star Daniel Brüll (Godbye Lenin). Also in Barcelona, the Catalan Ventura Pons is currently shooting Animales Heridos, another Els Films de la Rambla's production, based on the book "Animals Tristos" by Jordi Puntí. Guillermo del Toro will also start shooting next month El Laberinto del fauno and José Luis Cuerda prepares the adaptation of L'Éducation d'une fée by Belgian author Didier Van Cauwelaert. Indeed a hot Summer for production which might be able to alter, by 2006, the lukewarm trend of national production, witnessed by the 2004 box office.