Main Spanish work: A Life in Shadows

Carlos' life literally begins in the cinema darkness. In the opening scene, he comes into the world during one of the Lumière brothers' film screenings at the end of the 19th century, and from there the vivid images become a constant companion through his life: from the Charlie Chaplin enthusiasm of youth to adult life as a photojournalist and amateur filmmaker. But when the Spanish Civil War breaks out, the existence he has known so far shatters. From then on, the medium of film becomes not only a passion, but also a place where loss can be sustained, processed, and perhaps even overcome.

Lorenzo Llobet Gràcia's 'Life in Shadows' is itself a film with a splintered story. It was recorded on the periphery of the Spanish film industry in the late 1940s, without much regard for the official guidelines, and was since severely curtailed by the censors. For decades, therefore, it existed only in an amputated version. Only through extensive restoration work did they manage to track down and reinstate the de-censored material, and in 2016 the Filmoteca Española was finally able to present a more complete version. The restoration has brought back one of the great overlooked works of Spanish film history. 'Life in Shadows' is at once melodrama, film history and a personal portrait of cinema and the images that continue to live in us.

Between 1922-25, Russian film innovator Dziga Vertov recorded 23 editions of his weekly revy 'Kino-Pravda'. Vertov's goal was to create a kind of “film newspaper”. The title is a tribute to the newspaper Pravda founded by Lenin. 'Kino-Pravda' provides a fascinating insight into the early Soviet Union and shows the rapid evolution of Vertov's cinematic language. The ninth film, which lasts 14 minutes, contains a fascinating sequence about an “open air cinema” in a Russian square.

Directed by: Lorenzo Llobet Gracia
Starring: Fernando Fernán Gómez, María Dolores Pradera, Isabel de Pomés
Country/year: Spain, 1949
Running time: 90 min.
Formato: DCP
Language: Spanish speech with English subtitles
Age limit: Allowed for children over 15
Original title: Vida en Sombras

Part of the series: The Many Lives of the Cinema
For 30 years, the cinema halls in Gothersgade have been the beating heart of Cinemateket. We celebrate this with a series of films set in and around cinemas, depicting life in the hall, the foyer and behind the scenes. Welcome to the cinema!