Víctor Fábregas

1909. Miguel, a young teacher, is destined for a small mountain town on the border between Spain and Portugal: Lobosandaus, an inhospitable place, inhabited by distant people with remote traditions. It doesn't seem like the ideal place for someone like Miguel, who is determined to spread light and knowledge among his students. But reason cannot overpower desire, and as winter progresses, Miguel feels the darkness take over everything around him while his fascination with the enigmatic Dorinda grows. The unexpected death of an inhabitant will have a big impact on the city and will open the doors to a strange and ghostly presence.

Food, glorious food! Some of the most sumptuous and involving films revolve around that most common of acts: eating. 18 MEALS is an omnibus film of criss-crossing stories divided into three segments; breakfast, lunch and dinner. Jorge Coira's debut feature, shot over nine days in Santiago de Compostela has enough tasty portions to please audiences. Amongst Coira's expansive ensemble are aging street musician Edu, a pair awaking from a one-night stand, a businessman visiting his closeted homosexual brother and a lonely housewife, Sol. Victor and Sol are two of 18 MEALS' most fascinating characters as they each hide something - his sexuality, her depression - from those around them. Best of all is Pedro Alsono as Vladimir, a local celebrity actor who makes a meal for a mystery woman who never arrives. Who hasn't gone to a lot of trouble to do something extra special for someone just to have it go unappreciated?