CELEBRATING film, theatre and visual arts from the Spanish-speaking world, ¡Viva! returns to Manchester at the HOME theatre from March 31.

This year will be the 23rd edition of the festival and it is drawing inspiration from the era of cultural revolution in Spain sparked by the transition to democracy, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the abolition of censorship in the country.

The festival will last from March 31 until April 17 and will be packed with live music events, theatre and dance performances, artwork and 15 UK premieres of the best in new Spanish and Latin American filmmaking with films coming from ten different countries including Argentina, Cuba, Mexico and Ecuador.

Famed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s classic 1980 comedy ‘Pepi, Luci, Bom and other girls like Mom’, starring Carmen Maura, will also be screened.

Opening up the festival on March 31 and April 1 will be Emma Frankland’s ‘Republica’, a new theatre show inspired by another historical transitional period in Spanish history and the last time democracy was seen in the country before Franco’s dictatorship.

HOME theatre is known as a place for all visual arts, the gallery will showcase a contemporary art exhibition reacting to the counterculture movement, La Movida Madrileña, curated by Sarah Perks.

A range of panels, Q&As and talks will also be held with a significant focus on issues within modern Latin cinema, featuring a panel discussion with visiting female filmmakers and a review of the rapidly growing Basque film industry.

Spanish and Latin American culture has always been vibrant and this festival promises to be exactly that. If you’re a fan of Spanish-speaking film, or simply enjoy art and theatre, then you’ll want to check out ¡Viva!

For more information on these eighteen days of action at HOME, visit www.homemcr.org

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