''Backroads'' ( es, Carreteras secundarias, links=no) is a 1997

road movie A road movie is a film genre 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 theme of alienatio ...

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). Biography Emilio Martínez-Lázaro was born in Madrid in 1945. ...

and written by Ignacio Martínez de Pisón, adapting the latter's novel ''Carreteras secundarias''. It stars

Antonio Resines Antonio Fernández Resines (born 7 August 1954) professionally known as Antonio Resines, is a Spanish film and television actor known for his performance in comedy films and series. Biography He was born 'by accident' on 7 August 1954 in Tor ...

, Fernando Ramallo,

Maribel Verdú María Isabel Verdú Rollán (; born 2 October 1970) is a Spanish actress. Some of her film credits include performances in '' Lovers'', ''Belle Époque'', ''Y tu mamá también'', ''Pan's Labyrinth'', '' The Blind Sunflowers'' and ''Snow Whi ...

and Miriam Díaz Aroca.

Plot

Set in 1974, during the last rales of the

Francoist dictatorship Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Sp ...

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

Citroën DS The Citroën DS () is a 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, across three series of one generation. ...

along the Spanish coast.

Cast

Production

Penned by Ignacio Martínez de Pisón, 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 an ...

, 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 José Miguel Monzón Navarro (15 May 1955, Madrid), better known as El Gran Wyoming (''The Great Wyoming''), Wyoming or Guayo, i ...

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

References