Ópera prima

Fernando Trueba´s first feature film Opera Prima tells the story of Madrid-based Matías who is in his mid-20´s and is suspicious about anything that happens outside city limits and likes to express eccentric opinions about anything from Mozart to meat-eating. Matías is ambitious but floats around without focusing, works unenthusiastically as journalist and writes his self-deemed bestseller about an aging spy, even though he hasn´t passed the creative threshold of Chapter Six yet. The young man also has a surprisingly understanding ex-wife and a little son, on top of which he also has a stormy and slightly scandalous relationship with the beautiful and equally patient cousin of his, Violeta. Vincent Canby has seen a direct link between Matías´ character and Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud) and the sensitive and intellectual worlds of François Truffaut. In the end Violeta loses her temper too and threatens to run away to the "Festival of the Sun" in Peru. This mosaic of rendez-vous is completed by the American bestseller writer and porn movie maker Zoila, who is a little kooky but full of energy. (Midnight Sun Film Festival)