Las Meninas (2011)

Directed by: Eva Cools | 25 minutes | drama, family, short film | Actors: Elisa Mouliaá, Paula Morago, Esperanza De la Vega, Charly Bravo, Terele Pavez

When widow Vélazquez dies in the Flemish short film ‘Las Meninas’, it turns out that she was not a widow at all, and that all her money is inherited by her ex-husband. Her daughters and granddaughter are stunned and furious, because the man left Murcia, south-eastern Spain, when his wife was just pregnant. He always kept writing to his wife, but never came to see him.

Bélen, the granddaughter, decides to visit him in Belgium. There he has a restaurant, Las Meninas. Bélen is hired there as a waitress, and that’s how she gets to know her grandfather, without his realizing it. She tries to find out why he abandoned his wife and tries very hard to like him, also making peace with the fact that he will inherit the money.

With the occasional cliché shot in between, such as the 360 ​​degree shot around the astonished character, but in general beautiful, atmospheric images, ‘Las Meninas’ is a very pleasant short film to watch. The typical Spanish women are all beautiful and live in a wasteland that appeals to the imagination. The spoken language and the wonderful music give an acute holiday feeling and the acting skills of Elisa Mouliaá, who plays the role of Bélen, are excellent.