The Year of the Discovery

Luis López Carrasco's 2020 Spanish documentary looks at 1992 from two places at once. That year the country presented itself as modern through the Barcelona Olympics and the Seville exposition; the same year, workers marching against industrial closures in Cartagena set the regional assembly on fire. The film was shot entirely in a bar. People sit at the tables and talk about that period and about the present; the speakers are not identified and the generations mix in the same room. The image is split in two throughout; two separate takes run side by side and at times show the same conversation from different angles. The recording has the texture of video and the running time passes three hours. Who it's for: those curious about experimental documentary and Spain's recent history. Who it's not for: viewers looking for something short and directed; the film is very long and refuses to supply information.