Last week the Spanish Ciné club convened to watch El Bola, a shocking film about a young boy who suffers from a violent background. Set in an underprivileged area of Madrid, the film follows ‘Bola’, whose nickname translates as ‘Pellet’, as he lives a solitary life with few friends and an abusive father. With the arrival of a new boy at school, Pellet finds a new companion who helps him confront his worst fears and change his life for the better. Alfredo’s family welcomes him in, their hospitality proving a strong contrast to Pellet’s unsettled home life. The juxtaposition of two such different families could be interpreted as a metaphor for Spain in the Franco and post-Franco eras, as Pellet’s disrupted home reflects the oppressive nature of the regime.

Achero Mañas, the director, explores the theme of fatherhood and paternal authority, emphasizing this through the passivity of Pellet’s mother. In one of the more shocking scenes we watch Pellet’s mother’s helpless pleading while he is beaten by his father, as she is unable to do anything to help for fear that her husband will abuse her as well. Despite a few tears as we watched little Bola being kicked into the corner for spending the day with Alfredo’s family, and covering our eyes while the classmates played chicken on the railway lines, El Bola has stuck in our memories and I’m sure we all agree that Ciné club was a success, as always.

Report by Eliza Plowden (Upper Sixth)