La Cena (with Q&A Alberto San Juan)

Manuel Gómez Pereira returns with a sharp and lively dramedy that plunges us into a very special dinner. Two weeks after the end of the Civil War, Franco hosts a celebratory dinner at the Hotel Palace. A young lieutenant, a meticulous maître, and a group of Republican prisoners skilled in cooking must prepare a spectacular banquet in record time. Everything seems to be going smoothly… until something more than a menu is cooking in the kitchen: an escape is on the way. A family gathering becomes the perfect stage to reveal hidden desires, grudges, and tensions that span generations. With cutting dialogue, nuanced performances, and flawless staging, La Cena explores family dynamics as a mirror of contemporary Spanish society, revealing the contradictions, compromises, and humor inherent in domestic life. Manuel Gómez Pereira’s brings together a brilliant cast Mario Casas, Alberto San Juan, Asier Etxeandia, Antonio Resines, and Elvira Mínguez, and was one of the standout sensations at last year’s San Sebastián Festival.