7 Virgins (7 Vírgenes) was already a major success in Spain (nearly 1 million total admissions) when we showed it at the Network's Annual Conference in Budapest in November… 2005! After a release in Germany in 2006, it took another two years for it to come out in France. Distribution remains limited (8 cinemas, all Europa Cinemas Network members) and clearly illustrates the difficulty encountered by European cinema in finding a market. This film is neither a national comedy with a sense of humour that doesn't travel well, nor a film d'auteur with a limited audience. This chronicle of a difficult youth in the south of Spain is rather a dramatic comedy with a young cast led by local star actor Juan José Ballesta. Well received by the critics, the film directed and co-written by Alberto Rodríguez has what it takes to touch a large adolescent audience. These viewers, however, have little chance of hearing of the film…

Mataharis we showed to Network exhibitors during our last annual Conference in Bucharest, in November 2007. More recent than 7 Virgins, the film is much awaited after the European success of director Icíar Bollaín's last feature Take My Eyes (Te doy mis ojos). Mataharis came out on Wednesday in 34 French cinemas, almost all members of the Europa Cinemas Network. This portrait of three female detectives also met with critical approval, and was described by Le Monde as "modest, touching and sincere."
Distributed in France by Haut et Court, a member of the Indie Circle group, the film will also be released in Belgium and the Netherlands by August.