Fernando Fernán Gómez (1921–2007) is considered one of the greatest and most prolific figures in Spanish cinema. Over the course of his sixty-year career he won Goya Awards as an actor, writer, and director, and in 1981 Spain’s Ministry of Culture honored him with the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts. This fall, the Meadows Museum and Dallas Film celebrate this titan of Spanish cinema by screening three of the best-known films he directed.

El viaje a ninguna parte (Voyage to Nowhere), 1986

Directed by Fernando Fernán Gómez

Fernán Gómez himself stars in his masterpiece, a melancholic look at the postwar period through the eyes of a group of traveling actors. Set in Franco’s Spain in the 1940s, the comedic troupe goes from town to town to perform, oblivious to the country’s transformations and the fact that their profession is becoming obsolete due to the increasing popularity of movie theaters. The film explores the actors’ struggles with love, money, and family as they pursue their dreams. At the first Goya Awards in 1987, El viaje a ninguna parte won the prizes for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.

Spanish with English subtitles | 140 minutes

Spain’s ICAA rates this film as suitable for general audiences, but the Meadows Museum screening is intended for mature audiences only.