Year of Enlightment (1986)
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.
Cast
- Jorge Sanz - Manolo
- Verónica Forqué - Irene
- Maribel Verdú - María Jesús
- Rafaela Aparicio - Rafaela
- Santiago Ramos - Pepe
- Chus Lampreave - Doña Tránsito
- José «Saza» Sazatornil - Don Teódulo
- Manuel Alexandre - Emilio
- Violeta Cela - Vicenta
- Diana Peñalver - Paquita
Screenplay
Themes
Sibling Rivalry and Bitterness, Childish Innocence Lost Forever, The Horror of War and Humanity, Coming of Age and Self-Discovery
Keywords
brother, world war ii, sanatorium, coming of age, tuberculosis, 1940s
Trailer
Year of Enlightment TrailerSimilar Movies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Year of Enlightment about?
- 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.
- Who directed Year of Enlightment?
- Year of Enlightment was directed by Fernando Trueba.
- Who stars in Year of Enlightment?
- Year of Enlightment stars Jorge Sanz, Verónica Forqué, Maribel Verdú, Rafaela Aparicio, Santiago Ramos, Chus Lampreave.
- How long is Year of Enlightment?
- Year of Enlightment has a runtime of 1h 45m (105 minutes).
- What genre is Year of Enlightment?
- Year of Enlightment is a Drama, War film.
- Where was Year of Enlightment produced?
- Year of Enlightment was produced in Spain.
- What are the themes of Year of Enlightment?
- The themes of Year of Enlightment include: Sibling Rivalry and Bitterness, Childish Innocence Lost Forever, The Horror of War and Humanity, Coming of Age and Self-Discovery.