End these days the filming of ‘The life that is not ours’, second film by Israel González after ‘Fuel’ (2019), which accentuates what seems to be a return to quinqui cinema, which made its appearance in Spain in the late 70s and early 80s, by directors such as Eloy de la Iglesia or José Antonio de la Loma. ‘The life that is not ours’ adds to ‘The laws of the border’, that Daniel Monzón has just filmed, who also immerses himself in the subject, and even ‘Up to heaven’,by Daniel Calparsoro, of great success in recent months.
‘The life that is not ours’, whose script is signed by the director himself, talks about love and heartbreak, friendship and betrayal, forgiveness and resentment, stories at the foot of the street where each action has its repercussions. Israel González’s film is the story of El Javi, a neighborhood boy who, after serving two years in prison, is released with the intention of changing his life. By chance he meets Laura, and a love story arises between them. In the middle of all this, there is the protagonist’s little brother, Carlitos, a petty thief with a huge reputation in his environment (a full-fledged troublemaker) and José Manuel, their father, a man abandoned to loneliness and nostalgia, that he will be involved in a crossroads to a street hell.
The cast is made up of very young performers, and some newcomers, such as Cesar Mateo, Erika Bleda, Federico Celada, Jero García, Ramiro Alonso, Carmen García, Leire Martínez, María Serrano ‘Fresisuisss’, Marina Campos Albiol, Pablo Penedo, Santos Adrián, Antonio Meléndez Peso, Adrián Gordillo, Javier Bódalo, Bilal El Yacoubi ‘Billy’, Cristina Vittoria, Patricia Palazón, Rafael Gordillo ‘Lafita’ and Noa Lara, some of them known rappers. The filming takes place in towns and neighborhoods on the outskirts of Madrid, such as Alcorcón, Móstoles, Carabanchel, Caño Roto, Barrio La Uva, Hortaleza, Pan Bendito, Villaverde or the Soto del Real prison, where for the first time a movie camera has been able to enter.
In the words of Israel González the filming has been “an amazing journey in every way. It has marked a before and after in my career as a director. We have filmed in neighborhoods that are difficult to access, but whose neighbors have turned to recording and have helped a lot. We have also had deluxe cameos from the world of rap music such as El Coleta, Costa, Gitano Antón, Wzhello, Carmona, Arce and Darmo. We have a luxurious soundtrack by Frank Zannou (Goya winner for ‘El truco del maco’). A cast of top actors that will give a lot to talk about, especially the tandem formed by Santos Adrián and Erika Bleda, among many others. All this, in a filming in times of Covid, that is to say, an odyssey, but we have had everything imaginable during the filming: when we say everything, it is everything.
The film is the first project of the production company Rumba Entertainment, which it co-produces with Nido Films. The Proctor is Miguel Rueda, who reveals: «We are interested in quality and genre cinema, because our passion is to make good cinema, and to entertain the viewer. We have a free spirit and we bet on those people who have talent and want to do their project.
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