ABOUT THE FILM
Main Idea/Topic:
The main idea of the film was clearly expressed by Nieve de Medina (Ana): “the film presents many ideas and situations. It talks of course, about what social change is, and what reorganization is. In shipyards, or wherever, it’s all the same. And about how there are people who suddenly, at 40 years old, are left with nothing; or in their 20’s or 30’s. It’s an important social change. This generates many social changes that surround these people. And later on, it presents a society in which we are living. It reflects various conflicts that have occurred in this land. And it will be one of the beautiful legacies this story will leave behind.”
Main Characters:
Santa
José
Lino
Ana
Reina
Amador
Rico
Nata
Serguei
PERSONAL RESPONSES
Initial Responses:
At first I thought that this was a film about sadness, confusion and uncertainty; about all the things that brings with the unemployment. About not knowing what to do next and knowing that probably the status in which one is as unemployed could be really extent. Still, I consider that just blaming the system will not make the change, and various strikes neither, the change should be done by being constant in the struggle not by having done something once and knowing that because it did not work wont do anything anymore, one should know that the way through one should go to obtain ulterior purposes might is always different, perhaps they picked the wrong way.
Later Responses:
Later after thinking in Amador’s line in which he says: “The question isn’t if whether we believe in God or not… the question is, if God believes in us. Because if he doesn’t, we’re screwed.” I must say I’m not a very religious person, but I was once. And the reason I’m not anymore is because one can not depend on people to get things done, the only person one can count to get things done is oneself. This might sound a little rude, but still is my truth, the fact is that Amador thinks that God does not believes in him and that is why he is unemployed, and spends all the day drinking. This proves my point if you don’t take action in your life, you will eventually get stuck, if things change all around you; you should change too.
Who is the writer on the film? / Has the screenplay been adapted from another work?
Ignacio del Moral
Fernando León de Aranoa
As the tagline of the film says this piece of work is not based on a real story. It is based on thousands; It is based on the stories of many people that are crossing through the situation of unemployment in Spain.
Background on the director:
At the age of 19 he started working for the TVE like a writer, and scriptwriter for programs like "two, three" or "Tuesdays and trece” among others. Makes the jump to the cinema writing the scripts, among others, of Finally single! (Antonio del Real, 1994), crazy Heart (Antonio del Real, 1996) and Insomnia (Chus Gutiérrez, 1997). In 1994, directs his first short-metrage Sirens, awarded in the Festival of Alcala de Henares in 1996 and that obtained the attention of the producer Elías Querejeta. From that moment on, he satarts to make large-metrage films accomplishing the direction of Family (1996), awarded in the Festival of Cinema of Valladolid and winner from the Goya as Best Novel Director of that year, and District (1998), awarded in the Festival of San two Sebastián that obtained two Goya, to the Best Director and the Best Script. Its consecration in the present of the Spanish cinema arrives with Mondays at the sun, in which it portrays the social drama of unemployment in Galicia. He is interested by histories that are a faithful reflection of the reality as therefore demonstrates in "Family" (a solitary man contracts a supposed family to celebrate his ideal birthday), "District" (history of a group of kids in a marginal district) and "Mondays to the sun" (a group of unemployed people that get together every day to speak of the difficultness that it is to find a job). There is no film that he touches that it does not accumulates awards. In 2005 is released his last film, Princesas. Despite of his short work as a director, he has obtained numerous prizes.
(www.wikipedia.com)
When was the film made? / What is/was the social and political climate like at the time in that country and the world?
Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament, the Cortes Generales or National Assembly. Spain is, at present, what is called a State of Autonomies, formally unitary but, in fact, functioning as a Federation of Autonomous Communities, each one with different powers (for instance, some have their own educational and health systems, others do not) and laws. There are some differences within this system, since power has been devolved from the centre to the periphery asymmetrically, with some autonomous governments (especially those dominated by nationalist parties) seeking a more federalist—or even confederate—kind of relationship with Spain, now the Central Government is dealing with autonomous governments for the transfer of more autonomy. This novel system of asymmetrical devolution has been described as a coconstitutionalism and has similarities to the devolution process adopted by the United Kingdom since 1997. The terrorist group, ETA (Basque Homeland and Freedom), is attempting to achieve Basque independence through violent means, including bombings and killings of politicians, police and militaries. They consider themselves a guerrilla organization. Although the Basque Autonomous government does not condone any kind of violence, their different approaches to the separatist movement are a source of tension between the federal and Basque governments. The Spanish Constitution of 1978, in its second article, recognizes historic entities ("nationalities," a carefully chosen word in order to avoid "nations") and regions, inside the unity of the Spanish nation. But Spain's identity is sometimes, in fact, an overlap of different regional identities, some of them even conflicting. Castile is considered by many to be the "core" of Spain. However, this may just be a reflection of the fact that the Castilian national identity was the first one to be quashed by the Spanish Empire in the revolt of the Communards (comuneros) in 1518-1520. The opposite is the case of a large part of Catalans, Basques and, in some measure, Galicians, who quite frequently identify primarily with Galicia, Catalonia and the Basque Country first, with Spain only second, or even third, after Europe. The situation is even more confusing, since there are regions with ambiguous identities, like Navarre, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, etc. There has been a lot of internal migration (rural exodus) from regions like Galicia, Andalusia and Extremadura to Madrid, Catalonia, Basque Country and the islands. (www.wikipedia.com)
What does the title mean in relation with the film as a whole?
Try to establish a connection –sometimes clear, sometimes metaphorical.
“Everything that was happening in this past, in these stories is what it gave birth to the title. “Mondays in the Sun”, was one of the slogans or rallying cries they used. When they had protests, even on a Thursday, they would say “This Thursday is a Monday in the Sun.” For them, “Mondays in the Sun” was one way to say “unemployed” in a more combative way, happier, almost ludicrous, as if to say, “Well, so what?”” This relation was clearly established by Fernando León de Araona, the director of the film.
Describe how the opening credits are presented? / How do they relate to meaning?
First all the production, participation and all monetary investments credits are presented in a black background with white letters. Then it cuts to documentary scenes of riots or protests that take place in Spain, because of a lot of people who worked in a shipyard got unemployed. First all the people is walking in a mass to the place they are going to protest and they are carrying a banner: “SHIPYARDS, HELPS = UNEMPLYMENT.” After that they are peacefully walking thru the street crowded with police officers armed with shotguns and shields. Next, there is a cut to a clash between the police and the workers in which the police beats some guys. Then the workers put some tires across the street and after dropping some gas on them, they light the thing up in fire. Next, the police start shooting smoke grenades to the groups of workers, and the workers start running; after that, the workers make a barricade with some wooden pieces to cover from the grenades and they start shooting at the police with slingshots, subsequently the police shots some more grenades back at them and the workers kick them away. Followed by that you see the police dragging and unconscious worker through the floor; and then the workers also carry someone that is hurt too and take him out of the place. Then a worker walks out of the smoke towards the camera and it fades to black; meanwhile all this documentary footage is shown, the credits are being presented in white letters in right bottom corner of the screen. Then there is a shot of a ship called Lady España in which three of the main characters of the film are. The ship departs from pier 3 and there is a sequence of the ship sailing and breaking the waves and it fades to black. The remaining credits are presented in this sequence in the same way as they were presented before through the documentary footage. The relation between the credits and the film is really clear, the documentary footage is to introduce us the stories we are about to see, why they are in that situation and the sail Lady España is to show us the actual situation they are in after the riot, as a symbolism of the fact that they are sailing with uncertainty, thru the seas of Lady España, their country.
What three or four sequences are most important in the film? / Why?
The scene in which while being in the bar Santa says: “It is not a matter of cheap or expensive. It’s cheap for you? Fine. But not for me. Is Jose ugly or handsome? That depends too. His wife might like him. The 8’000 pesetas for example. What are they worth?” And then Lino asks him: “In euros?”, and Santa replies: “In pesetas. What are 8’000 pesetas worth in pesetas?” and the Lino says: “8’000 pesetas” to which Santa replies again: “NO. No, you see? For me, morally, they’re worth much more. This scene is important because is showing how in this film the system breaks the unemployed people, the riots.
The scene in which Amador gets out of the bathroom and tries to turn the light off, but it does not, then Rico tells him that it turns off by its own, is time settled, and Amador asks: “What time?” This scene is important because is a reflection on the duration of his status as an unemployed worker, he has been like that for a long time and his figure might portray the future of the others that are with him. It’s a scene that talks about the final point of turning in the life of a man that is frustrated by his lack of job.
The scene in which Santa after paying the 8’000 pesetas for the light he broke on the protests, he is given a ride to his house by his attorney, while they are in the car the guy is telling Santa that is was fine and that he had done the right thing, that it was them who did wrong, then Santa asks his attorney to make a stop, he gets down from the car and while no one is watching he breaks the same light he just paid for, gets back on the car and says to his attorney that now he fills way lot better. This scene is important because is the way is which Santa beats the system and purifies himself, by saying something like if they thought they were smart well, I’m smarter, no one breaks me. It is important because this is a scene that talks about mere catharsis.
What were your expectations from your knowledge of that country’s cinema or director’s work? / Where they confirmed or disappointed? Explain.
My expectations about this film were really great, since I’m really fond of Spanish cinema, which I consider is one of the best in the world, no matter if they are reiterative in certain topics; which I liked about this film, because it does not talks about the same things that Spanish directors use to speak about. Even though it was a good film to watch with a really realistic point of view of the situation some people is getting through in Spain; I do have to say that I expected a little bit more about the film. Perhaps, I expected to have a little more action, a little more movement.
In your opinion, what was the aim/purpose of this film? Be specific.
This movie is about whom we are and why do we get to certain points in our lives. It is a movie about some characters that are the manifestation of what we are capable of being, when things go wrong in life.
Give at least five examples from the film (besides the language) which signal it’s being labeled a film from _____________________ (country).
Direct contact with the vicissitudes and redefinitions of Spanish society
Imprisoning mechanisms of social control
Mechanism of dialogue and perspectivism
Complexities of a masculine role
Human relations between the sexes
Theme of desire
Reflexions on identity
How does the film try to make its case? (e.g. by emotional appeal, alienation, manipulation of point of view, documentary authority, symbolism, etc.) Give examples. / Is it persuasive?
The movie makes its case through symbolism and documentary authority. The documentary authority is really obvious ate the beginning of the film some documentary footage is shown to the audience so that we contextualize were the story is taking place and why it is happening, also some lines within the movie are directly taken from the interviews done to the real workers that were part of the riots. As for the symbolism, the are various examples but ill stick to a few, like the scene in which Santa goes to Amador’s house to check if he is fine, and he sees that the light from the entrance is blinking, this is a symbol that tells Santa that something is wrong because Amador always was arguing about the lights being on, the he steps back and found Amador dead on the top entrance ceiling. Another example is the fact that the ship in which they all meet to go to the job interviews or the different places is called Lady España which is a symbol to say that they are traveling in Spain and they can find a shore to get down safe, a symbolic metaphor for their underpayment, and then finally they kidnap the ship, which in a symbolic meaning they are kidnapping Spain itself in a complaint for their situation. Or the fact that Santa is always talking about other countries in which things are supposed to be excellent for everyone such as Australia and Switzerland, this is another symbolic complaint through comparison to Spain’s government.
Main Idea/Topic:
The main idea of the film was clearly expressed by Nieve de Medina (Ana): “the film presents many ideas and situations. It talks of course, about what social change is, and what reorganization is. In shipyards, or wherever, it’s all the same. And about how there are people who suddenly, at 40 years old, are left with nothing; or in their 20’s or 30’s. It’s an important social change. This generates many social changes that surround these people. And later on, it presents a society in which we are living. It reflects various conflicts that have occurred in this land. And it will be one of the beautiful legacies this story will leave behind.”
Main Characters:
Santa
José
Lino
Ana
Reina
Amador
Rico
Nata
Serguei
PERSONAL RESPONSES
Initial Responses:
At first I thought that this was a film about sadness, confusion and uncertainty; about all the things that brings with the unemployment. About not knowing what to do next and knowing that probably the status in which one is as unemployed could be really extent. Still, I consider that just blaming the system will not make the change, and various strikes neither, the change should be done by being constant in the struggle not by having done something once and knowing that because it did not work wont do anything anymore, one should know that the way through one should go to obtain ulterior purposes might is always different, perhaps they picked the wrong way.
Later Responses:
Later after thinking in Amador’s line in which he says: “The question isn’t if whether we believe in God or not… the question is, if God believes in us. Because if he doesn’t, we’re screwed.” I must say I’m not a very religious person, but I was once. And the reason I’m not anymore is because one can not depend on people to get things done, the only person one can count to get things done is oneself. This might sound a little rude, but still is my truth, the fact is that Amador thinks that God does not believes in him and that is why he is unemployed, and spends all the day drinking. This proves my point if you don’t take action in your life, you will eventually get stuck, if things change all around you; you should change too.
Who is the writer on the film? / Has the screenplay been adapted from another work?
Ignacio del Moral
Fernando León de Aranoa
As the tagline of the film says this piece of work is not based on a real story. It is based on thousands; It is based on the stories of many people that are crossing through the situation of unemployment in Spain.
Background on the director:
At the age of 19 he started working for the TVE like a writer, and scriptwriter for programs like "two, three" or "Tuesdays and trece” among others. Makes the jump to the cinema writing the scripts, among others, of Finally single! (Antonio del Real, 1994), crazy Heart (Antonio del Real, 1996) and Insomnia (Chus Gutiérrez, 1997). In 1994, directs his first short-metrage Sirens, awarded in the Festival of Alcala de Henares in 1996 and that obtained the attention of the producer Elías Querejeta. From that moment on, he satarts to make large-metrage films accomplishing the direction of Family (1996), awarded in the Festival of Cinema of Valladolid and winner from the Goya as Best Novel Director of that year, and District (1998), awarded in the Festival of San two Sebastián that obtained two Goya, to the Best Director and the Best Script. Its consecration in the present of the Spanish cinema arrives with Mondays at the sun, in which it portrays the social drama of unemployment in Galicia. He is interested by histories that are a faithful reflection of the reality as therefore demonstrates in "Family" (a solitary man contracts a supposed family to celebrate his ideal birthday), "District" (history of a group of kids in a marginal district) and "Mondays to the sun" (a group of unemployed people that get together every day to speak of the difficultness that it is to find a job). There is no film that he touches that it does not accumulates awards. In 2005 is released his last film, Princesas. Despite of his short work as a director, he has obtained numerous prizes.
(www.wikipedia.com)
When was the film made? / What is/was the social and political climate like at the time in that country and the world?
Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament, the Cortes Generales or National Assembly. Spain is, at present, what is called a State of Autonomies, formally unitary but, in fact, functioning as a Federation of Autonomous Communities, each one with different powers (for instance, some have their own educational and health systems, others do not) and laws. There are some differences within this system, since power has been devolved from the centre to the periphery asymmetrically, with some autonomous governments (especially those dominated by nationalist parties) seeking a more federalist—or even confederate—kind of relationship with Spain, now the Central Government is dealing with autonomous governments for the transfer of more autonomy. This novel system of asymmetrical devolution has been described as a coconstitutionalism and has similarities to the devolution process adopted by the United Kingdom since 1997. The terrorist group, ETA (Basque Homeland and Freedom), is attempting to achieve Basque independence through violent means, including bombings and killings of politicians, police and militaries. They consider themselves a guerrilla organization. Although the Basque Autonomous government does not condone any kind of violence, their different approaches to the separatist movement are a source of tension between the federal and Basque governments. The Spanish Constitution of 1978, in its second article, recognizes historic entities ("nationalities," a carefully chosen word in order to avoid "nations") and regions, inside the unity of the Spanish nation. But Spain's identity is sometimes, in fact, an overlap of different regional identities, some of them even conflicting. Castile is considered by many to be the "core" of Spain. However, this may just be a reflection of the fact that the Castilian national identity was the first one to be quashed by the Spanish Empire in the revolt of the Communards (comuneros) in 1518-1520. The opposite is the case of a large part of Catalans, Basques and, in some measure, Galicians, who quite frequently identify primarily with Galicia, Catalonia and the Basque Country first, with Spain only second, or even third, after Europe. The situation is even more confusing, since there are regions with ambiguous identities, like Navarre, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, etc. There has been a lot of internal migration (rural exodus) from regions like Galicia, Andalusia and Extremadura to Madrid, Catalonia, Basque Country and the islands. (www.wikipedia.com)
What does the title mean in relation with the film as a whole?
Try to establish a connection –sometimes clear, sometimes metaphorical.
“Everything that was happening in this past, in these stories is what it gave birth to the title. “Mondays in the Sun”, was one of the slogans or rallying cries they used. When they had protests, even on a Thursday, they would say “This Thursday is a Monday in the Sun.” For them, “Mondays in the Sun” was one way to say “unemployed” in a more combative way, happier, almost ludicrous, as if to say, “Well, so what?”” This relation was clearly established by Fernando León de Araona, the director of the film.
Describe how the opening credits are presented? / How do they relate to meaning?
First all the production, participation and all monetary investments credits are presented in a black background with white letters. Then it cuts to documentary scenes of riots or protests that take place in Spain, because of a lot of people who worked in a shipyard got unemployed. First all the people is walking in a mass to the place they are going to protest and they are carrying a banner: “SHIPYARDS, HELPS = UNEMPLYMENT.” After that they are peacefully walking thru the street crowded with police officers armed with shotguns and shields. Next, there is a cut to a clash between the police and the workers in which the police beats some guys. Then the workers put some tires across the street and after dropping some gas on them, they light the thing up in fire. Next, the police start shooting smoke grenades to the groups of workers, and the workers start running; after that, the workers make a barricade with some wooden pieces to cover from the grenades and they start shooting at the police with slingshots, subsequently the police shots some more grenades back at them and the workers kick them away. Followed by that you see the police dragging and unconscious worker through the floor; and then the workers also carry someone that is hurt too and take him out of the place. Then a worker walks out of the smoke towards the camera and it fades to black; meanwhile all this documentary footage is shown, the credits are being presented in white letters in right bottom corner of the screen. Then there is a shot of a ship called Lady España in which three of the main characters of the film are. The ship departs from pier 3 and there is a sequence of the ship sailing and breaking the waves and it fades to black. The remaining credits are presented in this sequence in the same way as they were presented before through the documentary footage. The relation between the credits and the film is really clear, the documentary footage is to introduce us the stories we are about to see, why they are in that situation and the sail Lady España is to show us the actual situation they are in after the riot, as a symbolism of the fact that they are sailing with uncertainty, thru the seas of Lady España, their country.
What three or four sequences are most important in the film? / Why?
The scene in which while being in the bar Santa says: “It is not a matter of cheap or expensive. It’s cheap for you? Fine. But not for me. Is Jose ugly or handsome? That depends too. His wife might like him. The 8’000 pesetas for example. What are they worth?” And then Lino asks him: “In euros?”, and Santa replies: “In pesetas. What are 8’000 pesetas worth in pesetas?” and the Lino says: “8’000 pesetas” to which Santa replies again: “NO. No, you see? For me, morally, they’re worth much more. This scene is important because is showing how in this film the system breaks the unemployed people, the riots.
The scene in which Amador gets out of the bathroom and tries to turn the light off, but it does not, then Rico tells him that it turns off by its own, is time settled, and Amador asks: “What time?” This scene is important because is a reflection on the duration of his status as an unemployed worker, he has been like that for a long time and his figure might portray the future of the others that are with him. It’s a scene that talks about the final point of turning in the life of a man that is frustrated by his lack of job.
The scene in which Santa after paying the 8’000 pesetas for the light he broke on the protests, he is given a ride to his house by his attorney, while they are in the car the guy is telling Santa that is was fine and that he had done the right thing, that it was them who did wrong, then Santa asks his attorney to make a stop, he gets down from the car and while no one is watching he breaks the same light he just paid for, gets back on the car and says to his attorney that now he fills way lot better. This scene is important because is the way is which Santa beats the system and purifies himself, by saying something like if they thought they were smart well, I’m smarter, no one breaks me. It is important because this is a scene that talks about mere catharsis.
What were your expectations from your knowledge of that country’s cinema or director’s work? / Where they confirmed or disappointed? Explain.
My expectations about this film were really great, since I’m really fond of Spanish cinema, which I consider is one of the best in the world, no matter if they are reiterative in certain topics; which I liked about this film, because it does not talks about the same things that Spanish directors use to speak about. Even though it was a good film to watch with a really realistic point of view of the situation some people is getting through in Spain; I do have to say that I expected a little bit more about the film. Perhaps, I expected to have a little more action, a little more movement.
In your opinion, what was the aim/purpose of this film? Be specific.
This movie is about whom we are and why do we get to certain points in our lives. It is a movie about some characters that are the manifestation of what we are capable of being, when things go wrong in life.
Give at least five examples from the film (besides the language) which signal it’s being labeled a film from _____________________ (country).
Direct contact with the vicissitudes and redefinitions of Spanish society
Imprisoning mechanisms of social control
Mechanism of dialogue and perspectivism
Complexities of a masculine role
Human relations between the sexes
Theme of desire
Reflexions on identity
How does the film try to make its case? (e.g. by emotional appeal, alienation, manipulation of point of view, documentary authority, symbolism, etc.) Give examples. / Is it persuasive?
The movie makes its case through symbolism and documentary authority. The documentary authority is really obvious ate the beginning of the film some documentary footage is shown to the audience so that we contextualize were the story is taking place and why it is happening, also some lines within the movie are directly taken from the interviews done to the real workers that were part of the riots. As for the symbolism, the are various examples but ill stick to a few, like the scene in which Santa goes to Amador’s house to check if he is fine, and he sees that the light from the entrance is blinking, this is a symbol that tells Santa that something is wrong because Amador always was arguing about the lights being on, the he steps back and found Amador dead on the top entrance ceiling. Another example is the fact that the ship in which they all meet to go to the job interviews or the different places is called Lady España which is a symbol to say that they are traveling in Spain and they can find a shore to get down safe, a symbolic metaphor for their underpayment, and then finally they kidnap the ship, which in a symbolic meaning they are kidnapping Spain itself in a complaint for their situation. Or the fact that Santa is always talking about other countries in which things are supposed to be excellent for everyone such as Australia and Switzerland, this is another symbolic complaint through comparison to Spain’s government.
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