The Rocket from Calabuch

When a high-profile astrophysicist gives the government the slip in a seaside village, atomic-age paranoia and bucolic traditions get playfully shaken up. In Berlanga’s gently biting comedy of manners, the American nuclear scientist takes refuge in the idyllic town only to find himself among sneaky priests and idle fishermen. As Franco’s relationship with the U.S. is put into question, Berlanga gets laughs out of the fraught position of Spain’s military (whilst eerily anticipating the actual 1961 loss of an American warhead off the Spanish coast).

Series: Spanish Cinema Now

Venue: Walter Reade Theater