Sunday Bloody Sunday, Star Wars, and perhaps Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: this year’s Goya cinema awards ceremony on February 13 looks like producing more off-stage drama than the content of all those movies put together. Topping the bill in this very public spat is Ángeles González-Sinde, a scriptwriter and director herself and former president of the Spanish Cinema Academy, who in her current role as culture minister is trying to push through legislation against P2P downloading sites along the lines of that in place in France, the UK, and the United States. The new legislation has been dubbed the “Sinde Law” in her honour. In her quest to protect what she calls “Spain’s … [Read more...] about Industry infighting spices up Spanish cinema awards
Archives for February 2011
Rubalcaba to mitigate damage as Zapatero goes up in flames
So that’s that then. In the autumn, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will announce his decision to make way for his interior minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, as Socialist candidate in the spring 2012 general elections. This, at least, is the theory that has taken hold in much of the mainstream Spanish media in recent days, with El Mundo, La Vanguardia, El Periódico and Público all subscribing to it on the strength of reports emerging from the Socialist camp. Qorreo has heard similar reports from sources close to the prime minister, who also say Zapatero has informed at least four senior Socialists of his plans (and not just one, as the prime minister has claimed). Rubalcaba has … [Read more...] about Rubalcaba to mitigate damage as Zapatero goes up in flames
Time for a name change for the Socialist Workers’ Party
When the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) holds its annual conference this summer, the party faithful’s main task will be to dump its leader, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and replace him with wily Interior Minster Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba. While they’re at it, they might consider a name change more in keeping with the party’s sharp right-turn over the last year, for which Pérez Rubalcaba can take much of the credit/blame. Times are tough, and they’re going to get a lot tougher. Unemployment officially stands at 20 percent, growth rates are zero, and growing numbers of people are feeling the impact of the government’s austerity cuts. In short, the recession is hitting millions … [Read more...] about Time for a name change for the Socialist Workers’ Party