Film review: Democracia by Borja Cobeaga

Even if Basque filmmaker Borja Cobeaga has recently become a popular scriptwriter- he is responsible for the script of Spanish Affair by Emilio Martínez Lázaro, the best selling Spanish film of all time, he has directed two successful feature film comedies (Pagafantas and No controles) and has a third one being filmed this summer- he does not reject his past in short film. His last short format film is called Democracia, a satirical story about democracy and the dubious manoeuvres employed by big companies to get the maximum performance out of their workers.

One of Borja Cobeaga's identity signs is absurd comedy and Democracia is full of it. The film shows how the boss of a big company wants to keep the spirits high for workers with a crazy lottery draw whose results will be catastrophic for the winner. Cobeaga plays with us by starting the narration immediately after an event that could change the meaning of the story. Cobeaga hides it cautiously until the appropriate moment comes, creating a hilarious reflection of the human behaviour when it comes to evolve on a professional level. 

Outstanding actors Óscar Ladoire and Luis Bermejo, both popular supporting actors in Spanish cinema, bring to life the two faces of the story: a boss who wants to motivate his employees to exploit them and a brown-nosing employee who is willing to do anything to be upgraded and win. Two characters that show us the dirtiest part of democracy (if it really exists) and how manipulating and willing to humiliate themselves human beings can get in order to get what they want: however, the techniques they use might not necessarily work as expected.

Author: Lucía Ros Serra*

Title: Democracia

Director: Borja Cobeaga

Year: 2013

Run time: 10'46''

Genre: Fiction

Country: Spain

Contact details: www.kimuak.com

 

 

*Every day Cineuropa Shorts, in collaboration with Nisimazine and Lago Film Fest (18-26 July), offers you film reviews and interviews made in Lago by the brilliant Nisimazine’s team of young journalists.