THE highly rated new film from The Others director Alejandro Amenabar's not only landed 15 Goyas (the Spanish Oscars) in its native Spain, but also rounded up the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film.
The Sea Inside is based on the true story of a quadriplegic from Galicia in Spain, who unsuccessfully lobbied for the right to die, then planned his own death with the help of friends and family to ensure that none of them could be charged with his murder.
Amenabar's film is a fictionalised account of the final months in the life of lawyer Ramon Sampedro (Javier Bardem), who has been consigned to his bed for almost 30 years, after a diving accident left him paralysed from the neck down. Dutifully nursed by his brother Jose (Celso Bugallo), sister-in-law Manuela (Mabel Rivera) and nephew Javi (Tamar Novas), Ramon approaches lawyer Julia (Belen Rueda) to help him mount a legal case to take his own life.
She is suffering from a debilitating, degenerative disease of her own and client and counsel gradually fall in love as Ramon's case captures the imagination of the Spanish public and the country's legal system.
See it at Lighthouse
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article