Lagarto Cine

Food, glorious food! Some of the most sumptuous and involving films revolve around that most common of acts: eating. 18 MEALS is an omnibus film of criss-crossing stories divided into three segments; breakfast, lunch and dinner. Jorge Coira's debut feature, shot over nine days in Santiago de Compostela has enough tasty portions to please audiences. Amongst Coira's expansive ensemble are aging street musician Edu, a pair awaking from a one-night stand, a businessman visiting his closeted homosexual brother and a lonely housewife, Sol. Victor and Sol are two of 18 MEALS' most fascinating characters as they each hide something - his sexuality, her depression - from those around them. Best of all is Pedro Alsono as Vladimir, a local celebrity actor who makes a meal for a mystery woman who never arrives. Who hasn't gone to a lot of trouble to do something extra special for someone just to have it go unappreciated?

A Peruvian teen lusts after his wild sister while the new wife of their difficult, wealthy father tries to hide her lower-class background.

A black office comedy about a head of human resources who threatens to run away with his wife's best friend to escape the insanity around him.

A summer vacation in the 70s. Lalo and Bruno are teenagers doing nothing on days full of nothing. But on a hot and humid afternoon, and without asking for permission, Lisa arrives smashing more than the letargy of the town. Thirty years later Lisa comes again to interfere in the lives of these two adults.

A hot summer in a small town. The lives of many characters intertwine as a Preacher comes to town to give them hope.

Taxi driver Jorge begins his night shift bent on revenge after his brother's murder at the hands of a violent gang. But when an accident brings him unexpectedly closer to his party-girl fare Angela, the damaged pair must struggle against forces already set in motion, drawing them inexorably into the rain soaked underworld of Bogota

In December of 2002, McDonald's had to shut down their restaurants in Bolivia. The company cited financial problems, but the real reasons were to be found elsewhere. Bolivia may be a small, poor nation on the global market, but a country's fierce local food culture can be sometimes a more powerful factor than economic clout. In his first feature-length documentary, Fernando Martinez shows what happened, a story driven by the characters behind the events and their life stories, such as renowned cooks and a review of popular sayings about the Bolivian food. The symbolism is obvious when a multinational giant is 'brought to its knees' by a country's traditions and heritage.

Payaguala, a gaucho living in a desolate area of Patagonia, lives alone in a ranch raising sheep and chickens. As the story begins, we watch a small plane arriving at a desolate airport, then a van is seen traveling to an unknown destination. What is going on, one wonders. Well, it appears Payaguala is getting a box, but he does not even open the door of his shack-like house to receive the messenger.