The Dinner Guest

In 1977, Gabriela Ybarra's grandfather, a wealthy Spanish industrialist and former mayor of Bilbao, was kidnapped by members of the Basque separatist group ETA. Over a summer of dread, his children fielded ransom letters and fended off a frenzied press until police found his body. In 2016, Ybarra's mother was diagnosed with cancer, beginning a new cycle of death in the family and pushing her reopen the story of her grandfather's murder. In this slim book, Ybarra blends memory and documentary, reporting and fiction to tell the story of the violence that has haunted her family. Pushing autofiction into new territory, she spins their tragedy into an almost mystical meditation on violence and redemption.

BooksDominique LearApril 30, 2020Spain, Auto-Fiction

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

A classic of Pablo Almodovar's films, Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios is a treat to revisit. Completely over the top, slightly disorienting, but entirely entertaining, this is a gem from the 80s that follows Pepa as she navigates the end of her relationship with a married man. Filled with unlikely coincidences and excellent shoulder pads, this is an excellent mid-week watch.

MoviesDominique LearApril 30, 2020Spain, Quirky, Powerful

Velvet

Why would anyone ever need a cheesy soap? That's what I used to say until I encountered the recent trend in (Spain) Spanish historical fiction soaps, from which Velvet stands out as the origin series. In Velvet, we're transported to a department store in Madrid in the 1940s, where the main character, Ana, works as a seamstress. She and the store's owner are in love, and have been since they were children, but pesky societal and class boundaries won't let them be together. This is exactly what one needs to watch when the world is a little too much, and you need to believe love will prevail above all else.

TV ShowDominique LearMarch 14, 2020Spain, Soapy, Romantic, On Netflix

Rosalia

Rosalía is a phenomenon across Spanish-speaking countries, and she's quickly becoming a sensation in the rest of the world. Her music is a refreshing, modern twist on flamenco rhythms, and her voice is stunning, hypnotizing. Some call her the Rihanna of Flamenco... Pff. She may be better.

MusicDominique LearSeptember 1, 2019Spain