Winner of the 1994 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, this wry, sun-drenched comedy captures Spain in a brief moment — that “beautiful time” — between the collapse of the monarchy and the outbreak of the Civil War. A young army deserter, Fernando (Jorge Sanz) roams the countryside until he arrives at the house of Manolo, an old anarchist painter played by the great Fernando Fernán Gómez. Fernando plans to keep moving, until he catches a glimpse of Manolo’s four captivating daughters (including an early-career Penélope Cruz). Trueba expertly details the complex network of emotions and ambitions of the four women, while following Fernando’s attempt to understand his own place in that network. Consistently evolving and consistently charming, Belle Époque brilliantly captures a moment of sensuous glory before an impending national disaster.

In Spanish and French with English subtitles

1994 Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language Film