IT IS NOT GOOD FOR A MAN TO BE ALONE
(NO ES BUENO QUE EL HOMBRE ESTE SOLO)
dir. Pedro Olea, 1973.
Spain. 88 mins.
In Spanish with English Subs.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4TH - 10PM
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 9TH - 5PM
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20TH - 10PM
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28TH - 10PM

Martin loves his wife Elena very much. He combs her hair, cooks her meals, and never leaves her side. The only problem is she is a mannequin… and once the neighbor's daughter discovers this dark secret, his world begins collapsing around him.

IT IS NOT GOOD FOR A MAN TO BE ALONE went unreleased until 1978, five years after its completion, due to censorship. During this period, another film focusing on a man's obsession with a mannequin, LIFE SIZE (1974), was released in Spain. Unfortunately for Olea, the popularity and notoriety of LIFE SIZE overshadowed his work, even though Olea's film has since proven to be more poignant and compelling.

It’s understandable that IT IS NOT GOOD FOR A MAN TO BE ALONE was banned when submitted to the Spanish censors, as it offers a critical commentary on the patriarchal structures of late Francoist society. During the early 1970s women started joining the labor markets of Spain, It was during this same period that feminists started questioning the patriarchal society and fighting for change. Olea encourages viewers to confront the realities of societal expectations thought-provoking narrative that reveals the complexities of loneliness and the construction of gender roles during Spain's transition toward a more progressive future.