Lope

The true story of one of Spain’s most celebrated playwrights inspired this historical drama from director Andrucha Waddington. In the 16th Century, Lope de Vega (Alberto Ammann) is a handsome and ambitious man in his early twenties who wants to be a writer, against the advice of his friends and family. With no money but plenty of nerve, Lope approaches producer and theater owner Jeronimo Velazquez (Juan Diego) about backing a project; at first, Jeronimo isn’t interested, but after Lope romances his daughter Elena Osorio (Pilar Lopez de Ayala), she persuades her dad to give Lope some work copying manuscripts. Instead of copying the text word for word, Lope rewrites the plays, and despite Jeronimo’s misgivings, the results are a popular success which earn Lope a degree of celebrity. Lope is commissioned by Tomas de Perrenot (Miguel Angel Munoz) to write a love poem for the beautiful Isabel de Urbina (Leonor Watling); Lope’s assignment is complicated by the fact he also has feelings for Isabel, and as he’s torn between her and Elena, he also finds himself at odds with the aristocrats who bankroll his career. Lope received its North American debut at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival., Biopic of 17th-century Spanish playwright Lope de Vega.