This movie was written in Jimena

Dead Man Running, a cult hit in the UK directed and written (with John Luton) by Alex De Rakoff, and starring Danny Dyer, the rapper 50 Cent and Tamer Hassan, was written in Jimena, we discovered the other day. Alex, who lives in Los Angeles and is the son of a well known resident of the village, also wrote and directed Need for Speed (The Run), the 18th in the Need for Speed car racing game franchise, one of the most popular in the world (He didn't write this one in Jimena, though). We wonder if anyone noticed this guy at the corner bar or at Bar España a good couple of years ago, concentrating on his laptop while Spanish noise surrounded him. Amazing feat, though we're told he could concentrate because he had very little Spanish, so there was no language impingement. Here is what Hello and Company says about him:>>>

Here's the Casa Verde movie programme for this month

The headquarters of the local Agaden environmental pressure group is at the Casa Verde (if you didn't know, now you do). Every Thursday, they show a film, usually in Spanish, sometimes with, sometimes without subtitles. All movies start at 8.30 and are for over-18s only. It is an interesting programme of a variety of films, more often than not of a quasi-political nature but not always. There is a nice little bar there, and the chance to meet interesting people. Tonight's film is Adios, Bafana, a drama about racism: the story of the man who was in charge of Nelson Mandela while he was in prison, and their relationship over the years. We would aslo like to hear about the Spanish-English conversation exchange that began last Tuesday. If you attended, please tell us about it. (We will put the programme up on the sidebar so you can check it every week.)

Great movies on Thursdays at Casa Verde

JIMENA Casa Verde, the Agaden headquarters on Calle Sevilla just below the Town Hall, continues its cine programme for September. Every Thursday, starting at 10pm there is a well chosen movie (mostly in Spanish, sometimes with subtitles or VOs). Today's is a comedy titled La Vida Empieza Hoy ('Life Starts Today' in translation - image), a Spanish/Argentine coproduction of 2009, directed by Laura Mañá and starring two of the country's best actresses, Pilar Bardem and Rosa María Sardá. On the right sidebar (no, dear, not the 'correct' one, the one on the right side of your screen ... yes, that's the one) you will find the poster with all the Casa Verde programming for September. (Advertising note: if your Spanish isn't up to it, maybe you should consider some Spanish lessons ...)

Planet 51, the American movie Made in Spain

The only reason we've put this up is because Planet 51, launched worldwide tomorrow at a cinema near you, is directed by a Spaniard (Jorge Blanco), co-directed by two more (Javier Abad and Marcos Martínez) and co-produced by another (Ignacio Pérez Dolcet). They lead a team consisting mainly of Spaniards working in Spain, though the voices are dubbed by American actors and the script was written by an American. Why do we remark on it? Because>