While at War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids While at War
English release poster
Directed by	Alejandro Amenábar
Produced by	Fernando Bovaira Domingo Corral Hugo Sigman Alejandro Amenábar
Written by	Alejandro Amenábar Alejandro Hernández
Starring	Karra Elejalde Eduard Fernández Santi Prego Luis Bermejo Tito Valverde Patricia López Arnaiz Inma Cuevas Carlos Serrano-Clark Luis Zahera Ainhoa Santamaría Mireia Ruiz Luis Callejo Dafnis Balduz Jorge Andreu Nathalie Poza
Music by	Alejandro Amenábar
Cinematography	Alex Catalán
Editing by	Carolina Martínez Urbina
Studio	Buena Vista International Movistar+ MOD Producciones Himenóptero K&S Films Mientras Dure La Guerra A.I.E.
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date(s)	6 September 2019 (2019-09-06) (Toronto) 27 September 2019 (2019-09-27) (Spain)
Running time	107 minutes
Country	Spain Argentina
Language	Spanish

While at War (Spanish: Mientras dure la guerra) is a 2019 movie from Spain and Argentina. It's a historical drama, which means it tells a story based on real events from the past. The film was directed by Alejandro Amenábar.

The story takes place in 1936, at the start of the Spanish Civil War. It follows the famous writer and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno, played by Karra Elejalde. Unamuno lives in Salamanca, a city controlled by the Nationalist side during the war. The movie shows his struggles and choices as the conflict begins.

The Story of the Film

Some scenes were filmed at Salamanca's famous Plaza Mayor.

The buildings of the University of Salamanca also appear in the movie.

In July 1936, a big change happened in Spain. Nationalist troops took control of the city of Salamanca. The city's mayor, who was a Socialist, was arrested.

Meanwhile, Miguel de Unamuno, a respected writer, met with friends. They talked about the new situation. Unamuno then went to an interview to publicly support the Nationalist side. During the interview, the mayor's wife asked him for help. She wanted him to speak up for her husband, who was in prison. Unamuno offered money instead, but she refused.

Far away in Spanish Morocco, German officials met with General Francisco Franco. They wanted him to become the main leader of the Nationalist forces. Franco said that a group in Burgos was in charge. But his colleagues wanted him to take control.

Back in Salamanca, Unamuno lost his job as the head of the University of Salamanca. This happened because the government of the Second Spanish Republic reacted to his support for the Nationalists. Unamuno met his friends again. They had a strong argument, and one friend, Atilano Coco Martin, left. Unamuno later tried to find Coco but couldn't.

General José Millán-Astray met with Franco. A group in Burgos then gave Unamuno his job back at the university. He was asked to write a statement supporting the Nationalist movement, but he didn't want to. Unamuno tried to find Coco again. Coco's wife told him that Coco had been taken by the Nationalists days earlier. Unamuno met with another friend, Salvador, who tried to show him that the Nationalist movement was becoming very strict.

Millán-Astray wanted Franco to help the soldiers stuck in the Siege of the Alcázar in Toledo. Franco said no, because it would make the war last longer. Millán-Astray kept pushing Franco to become the main leader. Franco still said no. Later, Franco changed the flag at his headquarters to an older flag. This made some people in the Nationalist group unhappy.

The Nationalist leaders came to Salamanca to meet Franco. Unamuno was called to this meeting. He tried to ask for Coco to be released. He was told that Coco's case would be looked into. Millán-Astray then quietly asked Unamuno why he wouldn't sign the statement. This made Unamuno think hard about what to do.

The leaders then voted on who should be the main leader. Millán-Astray told everyone to vote for Franco. At the same time, the university leaders met about the statement. Unamuno finally agreed and signed it. Franco was voted in as the commander-in-chief. As Unamuno left, Coco's wife gave him a letter. It said that her husband was innocent. Meanwhile, Franco visited a church. He was inspired to help the soldiers in Toledo. This made more people support him.

Unamuno met Salvador in the countryside. They talked about the war. On their way back, Salvador was stopped and arrested by a group called the Falangists. Unamuno walked back alone in the rain. He felt very unwell for several days. After that, he tried to ask Franco and his wife to release his friends. His attempt failed. Unamuno was very sad and told Coco's wife the bad news.

Millán-Astray spoke to Unamuno again. He told Unamuno that he would speak at a Nationalist event at the university the next day. At the event, Unamuno first refused to speak. But after reading Coco's wife's letter, he changed his mind. He gave a speech that criticized the Nationalists. The crowd turned against him, and he was forced to leave. The movie ends by telling what happened to some of the people in the film later on.

Cast

Release of the Film

The movie was first shown on September 6, 2019, at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also part of the 2019 San Sebastián International Film Festival.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures helped distribute the film. It was released in movie theaters in Spain on September 27, 2019.

Awards and Recognition

While at War received many nominations and awards. For example, it won the Best Actor award for Karra Elejalde at the 12th Gaudí Awards. It also won several Goya Awards, including Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.

See also

In Spanish: Mientras dure la guerra para niños

• List of Spanish films of 2019
• List of Argentine films of 2019