Year of Enlightment

April, 1940. Manolo, 16 years old, and Jesus, who is just 8, are taken by their older brother Pepe, a lieutenant in the Army, to a sanatorium for children suffering from tuberculosis, situated on the border with Portugal. Once in the sanatorium, Manolo, surrounded by boys all much younger than he is, feels a bit like the cock of the walk since the only other man around is the handyman Emilio who looks after the gardens and does whatever needs to be done about the place. His wife, Rafaela, is the cook. Manolo meets Irene, a falangist who runs the sanatorium, and the school teacher, Miss Transito, a crabby spinster. He has his first sexual experience, albeit as a voyeur, with his nurse Vicenta. When she has to leave, her place is taken by a girl from the village, Maria Jesus, with whom Manolo falls hopelessly in love. A relationship grows up between them which will mark them both for ever.

5.881

105 min

Cast

Jorge Sanz

as Manolo

Verónica Forqué

as Irene

Maribel Verdú

as María Jesús

Rafaela Aparicio

as Rafaela

Santiago Ramos

as Pepe

Chus Lampreave

as Doña Tránsito

José «Saza» Sazatornil

as Don Teódulo

Manuel Alexandre

as Emilio

Violeta Cela

as Vicenta

Diana Peñalver

as Paquita

Lucas Martín

as Jesús

Juan de Pablos

as Padre José

Pedro Reyes

as Pascual

Pilar Marco

as Pepita

José María Cañete

as Caballero

Gabriel Latorre

as falangista

António Sequeira Lopes

as Joao

María Jesús Hoyos

as Tomasa

Sonia Tarin

as Chica Plaza

Mercedes Jiménez

as Chica Quiosco

Carmen Velasco

as Madre

Paloma Recio

as Hermana 1

Isabel Ordaz

as Hermana 2

Pilar Ordóñez

as Hermana 3

Mónica Martín

as Hermana 4

Bárbara Tardón

as Hermana 5

Sot'so

as Joven autobús

José Antonio Díaz

as Viudo

Herlinda Cembreros

as Tía

Javier Lozano

as Guardia Civil 1

Joaquín Chaves

as Guardia Civil 2

Carlos Lucas

as Detenido

Ismael Martín

as Niño

Marcelo García Flores

as Motorista

Rosa Pascual

as Monja 1

Asunción Nogales

as Monja 2

Casimira Encinas

as Campesina

Carmen Espada

as Señora

Rafael Serna

as Cazador 1

Jesús Fernández

as Cazador 2

Manuel Huete

Director

Fernando Trueba