Bunuel has always been one of the most formidable names in Spanish Cinema. However, due to political strife, and the dictatorship of Franco, Spain has not been able to generate much impact to the international film scene for quite some time.

Bunuel never stopped creating films but definitely there was a period of lackluster for the Spanish film industry in general. There were some notable films during the time of Franco that was heralded for its brave and artistic representation of the occurring fascism and injustice in Spain as presented by The Huntby Carlos Saura which one the favor of Berlin.

The films created after the death of Franco was transgressive and more celebratory, with more cynical, if not, intellectual or simply complicated narratives. Pedro Almodovar was notable for reinvigorating the Spanish cinema with his hit international films, Law of Desire and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

With a very strong following, Spanish Cinema has started to become under the international spotlight, with proven results, like Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz becoming under the radar of international acclaim.

Going beyond the intellectual narratives, the Spanish films also tackled the popular delight for horror and film. Alejandro Amenabar was notable for The Others and Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo Del Toro. Juan Antonio Bayona also baffled the international scene with the creepy but extremely good film, The Orphanage.

The presence of Spanish Cinema definitely had its lows but not in intellectual and artistic facets. From the surrealistic and controversial films of Bunuel, to the post Franco films of Almodovar to the shock of the horror film makers, there is definitely nothing boring and passe about these iconic films. The popularity of Spanish films even beat German and French counterparts. Definitely, we will find a great wealth of options for top notch films from Spain.