Chus Gutiérrez, director of the film “You have stolen my heart,” emphasizes that current social events in Spain reflect phenomena that affect multiple generations, such as access to housing and job insecurity. According to press reports, Gutiérrez noted an expansion of the housing and work problem and noted that people up to 50 years old can end up living in a shared apartment, a situation that used to be more typical of young people. According to media reports, the new film illustrates these tensions through the experiences of its characters and the words of its main actors.
The feature film, which hits theaters this Friday, December 5th, stars Óscar Casas and Ana Jara as protagonists. As published by the media, the story follows the story of Eric, played by Casas, a young man who is unable to improve his professional position despite his dedication and academic qualifications. In response to this lack of options, the character stages a bank robbery and sets Vera, played by Jara, on the escape route. Casas mentioned that his character’s situation reflects the reality of many young Spaniards. “You work so much, you have careers, you have masters… You give everything and you realize that nothing comes of it, it’s not worth it,” said the actor, underlining the frustration that comes from the lack of results after the effort.
The plot of the film, written and directed by Gutiérrez, shows how Eric is trapped in temporary jobs that he combines with his studies, without being able to advance economically or professionally. The media detailed that Casas notes similarities between his acting experience and that of many of his generation, who experience high levels of frustration and insecurity. The actor pointed out that excessive rents and dwindling purchasing power are severely affecting the lives of young people, expressing that social advancement seems unattainable: “Rent is so high, life is becoming more expensive, inflation… There comes a point where you no longer have the opportunity to create a future, to have a house,” he explained in the press.
As the media reported, Ana Jara brought her perspective and showed that the problem not only affects young people, but also extends to other age groups, forcing adults up to 50 years old to share a home or face housing instability. For Jara, calm is closely linked to economic support: “Economic stability is part of calm,” explained the actress, explaining that origins and family environment determine the possibilities of individual progress: “Depending on the family in which you are born and the zip code in which you are born, your reality is one or the other.”
Óscar Casas emphasized in statements to the media that the focus of public attention should not be on previous generations, but rather examine the decisions and policies at the highest levels of leadership. “We have to fight and try to bring about this change because we will not achieve a successful outcome,” the actor said, underlining the collective need to confront the system that perpetuates these conditions. The interpreter also recognized that inability to pay directly limits individual freedom, a factor that, in his words, increases personal and social frustration.
Filmmaker Chus Gutiérrez considered that the current economic and social situation can be defined as the “time of monsters,” a metaphor she used, according to the press, to refer to the defense of capitalist models in crisis. Gutiérrez explained that those who are deprived of economic stability also lack autonomy, defense and the opportunity to fundamentally transform their lives.
The film’s development brought challenges for the cast, such as Casas adapting to his character’s Galician accent as he shared scenes with Galician actor Luis Zahera. According to the media, Casas admitted that he approached this challenge responsibly, showing respect for Galician culture and language.
In addition to Óscar Casas, Ana Jara and Luis Zahera, the cast includes actors such as Antonio Pagudo, Miguel de Lira, Ana Milan, Arturo Valls, Alba Gutiérrez, Mario Marzo, Pol Granch, Juan Amoedo, Xurxo Carreño, Lucía Veiga and Francis Lorenzo, according to the media. The film raises questions about social mobility and the difficulty of achieving economic independence in the contemporary Spanish context, alternating humorous moments with the social and personal drama of its characters.
According to the press, Gutiérrez’s proposal integrates the story of the social crisis with the individual development of the characters and shows how obstacles in the labor market and in access to housing not only affect young people, but also shape the coexistence and aspirations of entire generations. The statements of the protagonists and the director focus on the urgency of addressing the conditions that prevent long-term planning and the construction of stable, vital projects. According to the same source, the film takes these frustrations and transforms them into a narrative engine that allows viewers of different ages and contexts to identify with the conflicts depicted in it.
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