A thriller ripped from the headlines of febrile political times. Based on a series of tragic events that became known as the Massacre of Atocha, this key work of Spanish oppositional cinema dramatizes a crucial moment in the country’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. In January of 1977, just two years after Franco’s death, right-wing extremists stormed the offices of a group of progressive employment lawyers with links to the Spanish communist party, killing 5 people and leaving 4 more severely injured. The film itself was made just two years after the events it depicts.

Part of the retrospective States of Danger and Deceit: European Thrillers in the 1970s (presented by HOME / supported by the BFI). The full list of titles in the retrospective at LIFF 2017 is as follows: The Day of the JackalThe DeputyDon't Torture a DucklingThe FlightInvestigation of a Citizen Above SuspicionThe Lost Honour of Katharina BlumThe Man on the RoofThe Mattei AffairSeven Days in JanuaryState of SiegeZ.

Ticket offers: the LIFF 2017 Pass is incredible value or see 6 films for the price of 5 (available by phone or in person only)

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