Shenzheners are in for a treat with a captivating selection of Spanish and French films as a follow-up to the previous British and Dutch film shows.

The upcoming Spanish Film Festival at Lumiere’s two cinemas promises an exciting lineup, featuring remarkable works by esteemed directors such as Pedro Almodovar and Wim Wenders and starring such big names as Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Annette Bening, Naomi Watts and James McAvoy. Meanwhile, at two Broadway cinemas, Shenzheners can appreciate French films that are known for their nuanced character development and thought-provoking stories.

Spanish film screenings

‘Official Competition’ (2021)

Plot: When a billionaire decides to create an iconic movie, he demands the best, so he recruits Lola Cuevas (Penelope Cruz) to mastermind this endeavor and casts two actors with massive talent but even bigger egos: heartthrob Félix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) and radical theater actor Iván Torres (Oscar Martinez).

‘Submergence’ (2017)

Plot: In this Wim Wenders film, while James (James McAvoy) is held captive by terrorists in Somalia, his lover Danny, thousands of miles away on the Greenland Sea, prepares to dive herself in a submersible to the deep bottom of the ocean, tormented by the memories of their brief encounter in France and her inability to know his whereabouts.

‘Julieta’ (2016)

Plot: Directed by Pedro Almodovar, this film spans 30 years in Julieta’s life from a nostalgic 1985 where everything seems hopeful, to 2015 where her life appears to be beyond repair and she is on the verge of madness.

‘Mother and Child’ (2009)

Plot: Karen (Annette Bening) is a physical therapist who regrets that, as a teenager, she gave up her daughter for adoption. Elizabeth (Naomi Watts), an adopted child, is now a successful lawyer, but her personal life lacks warmth. Lucy (Kerry Washington) and her husband have failed to conceive and hope to adopt a baby to make their family complete.‘Never Look Back’ (2020)

Plot: In this documentary, Carmen arrives in Buenos Aires ready to celebrate her art: flamenco. The burden of what she’s left behind impairs her reaching out for her dream.

‘Nora’ (2020)

Plot: Nora is in her 30s and has barely left her village. When her grandfather passes away, Nora decides to journey along the Basque coast to reunite his ashes with her grandma’s.

‘Summer 1993’ (2017)

Plot: After her mother’s death, 6-year-old Frida is sent to her uncle’s family. But Frida finds it hard to forget her mother and adapt to her new life.

‘Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle’ (2017)

Plot: Spanish actor Gustavo Salmerón steps behind the camera in this documentary to capture the winsome eccentricities of his mother Julita, who has three dreams: having lots of kids, owning a monkey and living in a castle.

‘Pikadero’ (2015)

Plot: Unable to flee the nest due to the economic crisis that grips Spain, a penniless, young couple has trouble consummating their fledgling relationship in their parents’ homes.

Dates: June 29-July 16

Schedule & ticketing: WeChat miniprogram “卢米埃影城+”

Venue 1: Shenzhen Lumière Pavilion, 4/F, AVIC City Dreams-On Mall, Futian District (中航城君尚购物中心四楼卢米埃深圳华强北IMAX影城)

Metro: Line 1 to Huaqiang Road Station (华强路站), Exit B

Venue 2: Shenzhen Lumière Pavilion, 3/F, Phase 1, Getaway One, Nanshan District (汇港购物中心一期三楼卢米埃深圳汇港IMAX影城)

Metro: Line 2 or 12 to Sea World Station (海上世界站), Exit A

French film screenings

‘The Innocent’ (2022)

Plot: When Abel learns that his mother is about to marry a man out of prison, he freaks out. With the help of his best friend, he will do whatever it takes to protect her. But meeting his stepfather may well offer him a new perspective.

‘The Family’ (2021)

Plot: Simon, a 6-year-old boy currently placed by social services, is about to meet his biological father, a widower who wants to regain custody. This event causes an earthquake in the life of the adoptive mother.

‘No Dogs or Italians Allowed’ (2022)

Plot: In the Ughetto family’s home village, Ughettera, northern Italy, life is difficult and the Ughettos dream of a better life abroad. Legend has it that Luigi Ughetto crossed the Alps and started a new life in France, thus changing his beloved family’s destiny forever.

‘Close’ (2022)

Plot: Teens Leo and Remi have always been incredibly close but they drift apart after the intimacy of their relationship is questioned by schoolmates. When tragedy strikes, one is forced to confront why he distanced himself from his closest friend.

‘Little Solange’ (2021)

Plot: The film centers on a girl surrounded by love but is also caught up in her parents’ break up, and the impact of their divorce on her own search for love.

‘Mother and Son’ (2022)

Plot: In the late 1980s, Rose moves from Côte d’Ivoire to France with her two sons. Spanning 20 years from their arrival to the present day, the film is the moving chronicle of the construction and deconstruction of a family.

‘Eugenie Grandet’ (2021)

Plot: Felix Grandet reigns supreme in his modest house where his wife and daughter Eugenie lead a distraction-free existence. Nothing should damage the colossal fortune he hides from everyone. The sudden arrival of Grandet’s nephew, an orphaned and ruined Parisian dandy, turns the daughter’s life upside down.

Dates: June 28-July 16

Scheduling & ticketing: WeChat miniprogram “百老汇影城”

Venue 1: Broadway Cinematheque, 5/F, MixC World, Nanshan District (华润万象天地五楼深圳百老汇电影中心)

Metro: Line 1 to Hi-tech Park Station (高新园站), Exit A

Venue 2: Palace Cinema, 4/F, Raffles City, Nanshan District (来福士广场四楼深圳百丽宫影城)

Metro: Line 9 to Nanyou Station (南油站), Exit E