Two parallel lanes run through the world of cinema in this account: the program dedicated to Cinema days and the stories that unfold within the onscreen universe. A recent incident emerged last Friday, a coincidence so tight that no member of either side fully anticipated it until it happened.
The Elena S. Sánchez issue opens with a moment of on-set alertness. The person in focus brought a rare perspective to a long career that began in 2015, when broadcasting first entered the scene. Alejandro Amenábar’s presence stands out as he personally accompanied Eduardo Noriega and Javier Ocaña through a day that felt like a microcosm of the industry’s oscillating pace and creative curiosity.
From another corner, the cinema days program acted as godfather and host to Eduardo Campoy. This figure had already earned a notable honor at the 29th Forqué Awards gala, underscoring his influence in the field. A fascinating detail reveals a dual role: beyond a prolific career as a producer, Campoy also directed a film titled Till the End, a project crafted in collaboration with his friend Agustín Díaz Yanes. The film premiered on the same day as Open Your Eyes, an event that happened in mid December 1997, a memory that stretches twenty six years into the past.
These threads connect with a time when Alicante did not yet boast modern shopping centers, and the distribution model relied on cinema screenings alone. Both premieres found a home at Casablanca cinemas, symbolic venues of the era. The premiere of Till the End occupied the large ground-floor room, while Open Your Eyes premiered in one of the smaller rooms on the first floor, a juxtaposition that captured the scale and spirit of the moment.
The industry’s verdict soon followed the audience’s first reactions. Open Your Eyes drew two million viewers, a strong showing that anchored its place in the cinematic record. In the second week, the film remained in a spacious Casablanca room, a shift that echoed the competition and the evolving space of Spanish cinema. Yet the film Till the End faded from collective memory, and some critics labeled it a misfired thriller in hindsight, a reminder that not every ambitious release finds lasting resonance.
Across these scenes, a broader picture emerges: a period marked by bold collaborations, lively premieres, and venues that shaped how audiences experienced the magic of film. In the end, the interplay between production, distribution, and reception tells a story about how a national cinema finds its footing and how certain moments become milestones in the cultural memory of a city and a country.