Dictatorship to Democracy: La Transición Española in Chus Gutiérrez's Film El Calentito.

Indianapolis, IN

Spain's transition to democracy began with the death of dictator Francisco Franco, who ruled from the Spanish Civil war in the late 1930s until his death in 1975. The transition from a dictatorship to a democracy was not exactly seamless. Although the Spanish Constitution was enacted in 1978, there were still those who resisted the change and tried to reinstate the dictatorship. The most well known of these attempts was the failed coup on the 23^rd of February 1981, known as 23-F. King Juan Carlos, who was named successor by Francisco Franco, aided the transition to democracy by giving power and support to the people of Spain and discouraging those who were in support of the coup. In addition to adjusting to the return of the monarchy, the Spanish people also had to adjust to the new social changes that the transition brought about; from a very conservative lifestyle to one full of new freedoms. The movie El Calentito, directed by Chus Gutiérrez, depicts the way that this tumultuous period in history, from the attempted coup through the birth of the Spanish Constitution, affected the daily lives of people from many generations and lifestyles.