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Juan Carlos Rubio Movies

2008  
 
Inspired by the countless news stories of African bodies washing up on Spanish shores, filmmaker Chus Gutiérrez crafts this affecting drama tracing the journey of a Spanish funeral home owner and a young African girl to deliver the body of her deceased brother back to their home village in Morocco. On the Strait of Gibraltar, in Algeciras, Spain, sits a struggling funeral home owned by a man named Martin (José Luis García Pérez). Lately Martin's been having a particularly difficult time paying the bills, so when Spanish authorities phone to request that he help them deal with an inordinately large amount of bodies discovered on a nearby shore, he readily accepts. Clutched in the hand of one of the deceased is a scrap of paper with a telephone number - the only clue to his mysterious origins. A telephone call is made, and soon thereafter Leila (Farah Hamed) arrives at the funeral home prepared to identify the corpse. The man was her younger brother, and now Leila is prepared to deliver his body back to their parents in Morocco. It's an expensive trip to be sure, though given the circumstances Leila is more than willing to travel back to the village with Martin and bring the clothing of the other dead in hopes that they will provide the families with a means of identifying their loved ones. But Leila is consumed with guilt over the fact that it was she who provided her brother with the money needed to make such a treacherous voyage, and over the course of their life-changing voyage she and Martin will come face to face with the plight of the African migrant. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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2008  
 
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Two friends on the verge of adulthood take one last road trip together before buckling down and setting out on their great life journeys in this carefree tale of youthful mischief from Sexykiller director Miguel Marti. Fito and Toño have been best friends for as far back as either of them can remember, but next week everything will chance when Fito obtains his scholarship and travels to England to pursue his college education. Toño, too has a blueprint for success, though he plans to travel a slightly less conventional path in life. If Toño can just land an exclusive interview with the popular rock band Slam, who are currently set to headline the popular Cactus Beach Festival, perhaps he can land a job as a columnist for "Chill Out Magazine." But before Fito can head off to college, he must first transport a new delivery van to his father. Of course this gives Toño and Fito the perfect excuse to sew their wild oats with one last bash at the beach, and after rounding up their old pal Luisito it's time to gas up the van and get ready for some serious fun in the sand. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Ivan HermesJuana Acosta, (more)
 
 
2005  
 
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Filmmaker Chus Gutiérrez directs this high-spirited comedy set in newly democratic Spain and detailing the adventures of a teenage virgin who flees to a decadent nightclub in order to escape her tyrannical mother. Sara (Verónica Sánchez) may be virginal, but as with most teens she's got a rebellious streak a mile wide. Upon discovering a Madrid club known as El Calentito, Sara finally finds a place where she can be her true self. Anything goes at El Calentito, and the vibe at the club is both pansexual and punk rock. Presiding over El Calentito is motherly transsexual Antonia (Nuria Gonzalez). One of the biggest bands on the local scene is Las Sioux, so when lesbian lead singer and Joan Jett lookalike Carmen (Ruth Diaz) and free-spirited Leo (Macarena Gomez) invite Sara to join the band, the eager adolescent jumps at the chance. But on the night of their performance for a hig-powered record executive, something astonishing happens -- the remaining members of Franco's fascist regime stage a daring coup d'état. Will El Calentito survive the ensuing chaos, and what will become of Las Sioux? With the future of the entire country suddenly thrown into doubt, the club is suddenly infused with a newfound sense of energy and urgency, and young, innocent Sara will experience sights and sounds that she could never have imagined. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Verónica SánchezJuan Sanz, (more)