Uncovering The Mysteries Behind Las Meninas

Las Meninas has long been recognized as one of the most important and intriguing paintings in Western art history.

Painted in 1656 by Diego Velázquez, it hangs in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, the capital of Spain. The film "El Cuadro" ("The Painting") is a movie which probes Las Meninas and the mysteries behind it.

"I am amazed by this wonderful movie and we have a lot to learn from film makers. The intrigues, are all interesting. We are happy to make this part of the festival," said Rafael Bustamante of the EU delegation during a press conference hosted by Instituto Cervantes over the weekend.

"The Painting" is a mystery documentary about Velázquez’s Las Meninas, the most widely interpreted work of art in history. The film turns the viewer into a detective and guide him through the maze of clues that leads to deciphering the painting's secrets.

"Making this, it's difficult, took a long time and support wasn't easy. To get the funding, it's severely difficult. I see I have about 60 hours worth of interviews and cut a lot to make this film. It's just a single picture but is seen in different ways. It has a lot of narratives, it started in a conversation with an art expert one day and this happened. I didn't even know them back then (in Ateneo in Madrid), Las Meninas was just a fascinating subject. I talked to the producer Antonio and research, investigation started. I wrote the script, I needed a structure. It's so huge and I might get lost so I needed a guide to know what to put into the film. I already knew how we were going to tell the story. I had to create it to tell the story with suspense like a crime movie," said Andres Sanz, the film's director.

Sanz recalls that his fascination for Las Meninas started when he was a child.

"I went to the Prado museum when I was a little kid. Before it was in a room, but now it's in the main gallery. I remember entering that room that's crowded, it was like a theater in a way. It was like seeing a movie, everyone was looking at it. There was a guy with a mirror and he was explaining it, I got obsessed, asked my parents to buy me a guide for it. In it, they explained when you see it in the mirror, you see a 3D effect. I didn't see it when I went there as a child. It was like a magician trick," he said.

For Cine Europa 24, Rge EU Delegation, the European Union Member States Embassies together with Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes de Manila and the Philippine-Italian Association, have curated a set of award-wining films, including "El Cuadro."

You can watch all 17 films from 15 EU member states for free at the Cine Europa website.