''Backroads'' () is a 1997

road movie A road movie is a film genre, genre of film in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the the ...

directed by

Emilio Martínez-Lázaro Emilio Martínez-Lázaro Torre (born 1945) is a Spanish filmmaker known for directing box office hits such as ''The Other Side of the Bed'' (2002) and ''Spanish Affair (2014 film), Spanish Affair'' (2014). Biography Emilio Martínez-Lázaro wa ...

and written by

Ignacio Martínez de Pisón Ignacio is a male Spanish name originating in the Latin name "Ignatius" from ''ignis'' "fire". This was the name of several saints, including the third bishop of Antioch (who was thrown to wild beasts by emperor Trajan) and Saint Ignatius of Loy ...

, adapting the latter's novel ''Carreteras secundarias''. It stars

Antonio Resines Antonio Fernández Resines (born 7 August 1954) is a Spanish film and television actor. Resines made his feature film debut in 1980 in ''La paloma azul'', also featuring in '' Opera prima'' and ''La mano negra''. He gained early notoriety in th ...

Fernando Ramallo Fernando Ramallo (born 3 April 1980 in Madrid) is a Spanish actor. Roles Films *''Give Me Your Hand (film), Donne-moi la main'' (Give Me Your Hand) (2008) *''Ejecutores'' (2008) *''El corazón de la tierra'' (2007) *''WC'' (2005) *''Mola ser ...

Maribel Verdú María Isabel Verdú Rollán (born 2 October 1970), better known as Maribel Verdú (), is a Spanish actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades throughout her career spanning nearly four decades, including two Goya Awards for Best Act ...

and Miriam Díaz Aroca.

Plot

Set in 1974, during the last rales of the

Francoist dictatorship Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death i ...

, the plot follows the journey of salesman Lozano and his son Felipe driving a

Citroën DS The Citroën DS () is a Front-mid-engine, front-wheel-drive layout, front mid-engined, front-wheel drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1955 to 1975, in fastback/sedan, wagon/estate, and convertible body configurations ...

along the Spanish coast.

Cast

Production

Penned by

, the screenplay is an adaptation of Martínez de Pisón's 1996 novel ''Carreteras secundarias''. The films is a Olmo Films, Sogecine, Kaplan and Fernando Trueba PC production, with the participation of Sogepaq and

Canal+ Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

Release

The film screened out of competition at the 42nd

Valladolid International Film Festival The Valladolid International Film Festival, popularly known as Seminci (short for ; ), is a film festival held annually in Valladolid, Spain. First held in 1956 as ('Valladolid Religious Film Week'), the Seminci is one of the longest-standing fi ...

(Seminci) in 1997. Distributed by

United International Pictures United International Pictures (UIP) is a joint venture of Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures that distributes their films outside the United States and Canada. UIP also had international distribution rights to certain Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (M ...

, the film was theatrically released in Spain on 28 November 1997.

Accolades

, - , rowspan = "center" rowspan = "2" , 1998 , , rowspan = "2" ,

12th Goya Awards The 12th Goya Awards were presented in Madrid, Spain on 31 January 1998. The gala was hosted by El Gran Wyoming. '' Lucky Star'' won the award for Best Film. Winners and nominees The nominees and winners are listed as follows: Major award nomine ...

, , Best Adapted Screenplay , , Ignacio Martínez de Pisón , , , , rowspan = "2" , , - , Best New Actor , , Fernando Ramallo , ,

References