"Paco Leon[‘s] distinctive, enjoyable debut." VARIETY
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

Carmina or Blow Up

(Carmina o revienta)

Director: Paco León Country: Spain 2012 70 mins Comedy Spanish with English subtitles Cast: Carmina Barrios, María León, Paco Casaus

This glorious and outrageous comedy was a box office smash in Spain with audiences embracing the unabashedly crass and foul-mouthed Carmina Barrios. Written and directed by Paco León in the style of a documentary, the bizarre and hilarious Carmina or Blow Up follows the filmmaker’s mother, a 58-year-old tavern manager in Seville.

Between cigarettes at her kitchen table, Carmina tells her story. We learn that she has been struggling to support her family, as the tavern has been burgled many times but the insurance company has never delivered. Desperate, Carmina decides to fake the perfect break-in to ensure an insurance payout. While Carmina’s plan unfolds, she reflects on the pile of crazy, tragic and comic situations that have piled up along the way.

Family and friends (many playing themselves) add authenticity to this incredibly funny and unapologetically vulgar film, which León maintains is based on his mother’s real life. The central, unstoppable force of the film is Carmina, a strong, coarse and unflinching woman who mows down anything in her path. This is a film and a character that audiences will never forget.

  • Winner -
    2013 Festival of Spanish Cinema (Nantes) - Best First Film
  • Winner -
    2013 Málaga Spanish Film Festival: Audience Award, Best Actress, Special Jury Award
  • Nominee -
    2013 Goya Awards: Best New Actress, Best New Director, Best Supporting Actress
All non-English language films will screen in the festival with English subtitles.