The Bear Club

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Movie
German title The Bear Club
Original title Cachorro
Country of production Spain
original language Spanish , French
Publishing year 2004
length 100 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Miguel Albaladejo
script Miguel Albaladejo
Salvador García Ruiz
production Juan Alexander
music Lucio Godoy
camera Alfonso Sanz
cut Pablo Blanco
occupation

The Bear Club is a Spanish movie from 2004. It is set in Madrid and is about a single gay man who takes in his nephew and develops paternal feelings, but who is later blackmailed by the boy's grandmother.

action

Pedro is openly gay and works as a dentist in Madrid. One day he receives a visit from his sister Violeta, who is going to India for two weeks ; her son Bernardo is said to spend this time with his uncle Pedro. This means a change for Pedro, as he was not previously responsible for a child; In addition, as a member of the Madrid bear scene , he leads a very promiscuous sex life. He tries to look after the half-orphan Bernardo as best he can.

A serious problem soon arises: Violeta is caught with drugs in India and imprisoned for drug smuggling. Since she faces a long prison sentence, Pedro takes responsibility for Bernardo. Out of consideration for the boy, he has already drastically restricted his sex life, but now he also has to take care of elementary issues such as the boy's attendance at school.

Another problem soon becomes Bernardo's grandmother, Doña Teresa, who is determined to send Bernardo to boarding school. However, your chances are slim, as Bernardo quickly fell in love with his uncle and would much rather stay with him than with his grandmother; For his part, Pedro has developed fatherly feelings for the boy and wants to continue to care for him. Thereafter, Teresa blackmailed Pedro. She confronts him with his HIV infection and threatens to report his infection to the authorities, which would likely cost him his license to practice as a dentist. Pedro bows to the pressure and doesn't see Bernardo for a long period of time.

Pedro later becomes faint due to his infection and is hospitalized. When Teresa visits her grandson Bernardo at boarding school and tells him about his uncle's poor health, a scandal breaks out: Bernardo has long known that Pedro is HIV-positive. Angrily, he explains to his grandmother that he was infected with the HI virus himself in the womb - but the virus has disappeared again.

While Violeta is still in prison and Pedro has recovered, Teresa eventually dies. After the funeral, Bernardo meets his uncle for the first time in a long time. Both leave the cemetery, which ends the film.

Locations

The exterior shots of the film were shot on location in Madrid.

  • The main character Pedro's home is next to the “Teatro Español” on the southeast corner of the Plaza de Santa Ana.
  • Pedro's best friend, Javi, lives right on Plaza de Chueca. His house is at the exit of the Chueca station, metro line 5.
  • The musical "Peter Pan", which Pedro, his nephew and Javi see, will be performed in the "Teatro Lope de Vega", Gran Via 57.
  • The “HOT” bar shown in the film really exists and has been a popular bear bar in Madrid for years. It is located at 9 Calle de las Infantas.
  • The scene in which Pedro walks in the park after separating from his nephew was filmed in the Casa de Campo near the top station of the Teleférico (cable car). From there you have a wonderful view over the old town of Madrid.

Awards

The Bear Club won the Golden Zenith for best European film at the 2004 Montréal World Film Festival, followed in the same year by the Violette d'Or at the Toulouse Cinespaña Film Festival and the Best Feature Award at the Dallas Out Takes. At the Czech Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2005 the film was awarded in the category “Best Film”.

Trivia

  • The version available on DVD in Germany is censored and shortened to 95 minutes.
  • The German title Club der Bären is a mistranslation, based on the English subtitle "Bear Cub", which means "Bärenjunges", which in turn is a literal translation of "Cachorro". “Cub” became “Club” in German.
  • In the sequence of the attic party, Josep Tomás, a well-known journalist in Spain, is among the guests. Currently (autumn 2009) he can be seen, among other things, as the presenter of the very revealing documentary series “Todos ahhh 100” in the program of the Spanish private broadcaster “La Sexta”.

Web links