Viva la revolución! It’s the 12th year of the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival, running right through to 19th October in Scotland’s capital with a touring programme of 17 new and vintage films reaching Glasgow, Stirling, Tranent, Inverness and Manchester too. The 2025 edition is intended to reflect upon the 50th anniversary of the re-establishment of Spanish democracy in 1975, ending the reign of Franco’s dictatorship. Selecting films to reflect the different stages of this route to Spain’s current cultural outlook was a labour of love for festival director Marian A Aréchaga, starting with the opening film, road movie Breaking Walls (Los Aitas).

‘Our festival seeks to remind audiences about the resilience and passion of Spanish people who welcomed back democracy in 1975 and have preserved it ever since, despite all the subsequent difficulties we have faced in the world,’ she says. ‘And the historical background of Los Aitas is one that reminds us specifically about the pivotal year of 1989 when all Europe was reunited with the fall of the Berlin wall.’

The festival’s closing offering, Gerard Oms’ Away gets up to date by exploring current controversial issues about undocumented immigrants and refugees, while it also looks back into Spain’s recent past with The Good Manners, Celia Rico’s consideration of historical gender inequality. Meanwhile, Nuria Capdevilla-Argüelles’ documentary CartasVivas features a thoughtful consideration of 20th-century female Spanish thinkers and artists. ‘We also include two masterpieces by the late Carlos Saura and also the pioneering documentary Dressed In Blue which focuses on a group of trans women during the early days of the democratic transition,’ says Aréchaga. 

The line-up also expands the previous scope to include Latin America (both Queens and Through Rocks And Clouds are of Peruvian origin), offering a positive example about overcoming adversity. ‘My main motivation is the outpouring of new talent in contemporary Spanish cinema,’ says Aréchaga. ‘New directors who won’t likely have a chance to showcase their first films internationally through mainstream distributors can find a platform with us. I feel we need to go back to a spirit of unity and hope against those who want to divide us. We want to entertain and enlighten our audiences but also hope that they reflect on their own realities and feel inspired to contribute to our world for good.’

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival runs from Wednesday 1–Sunday 19 October; full details at edinburghspanishfilmfestival.com; main picture is Through Rocks And Clouds.