Spanish cinema today means just one director, mas o menos, and that’s Pedro Almodovar. Others of course exist but non-Spanish audiences rarely get to see them and anyway, since the 1980s, Almodovar has managed to eclipse them all. There is none better to give a sense of the dynamism, frenzy and creative élan of contemporary Spain – even with a high dose of exaggeration. Certain actors on the other hand have a much higher profile – from Penelope Cruz to Javier Bardem, Antonio Banderas and their forerunner, the late great Fernando Rey.

Hey gringo! went the classic opening line – but that’s not what Mexican cinema is about these days. Suddenly (or at least over the last decade or so) there’s a whole new generation of film-makers setting the pace with hard-hitting, intelligent films reflecting the socio-reality of Mexico. Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien), Guillermo del Toro (Cronos, Pan’s Labyrinth) and Gonzalez Inarritu (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel) are the main trio of directors whose films are giving the world a whole new perspective on Mexico. Called the Buena Onda (the ‘right’ or ‘cool’ wave) in Mexico, they prove yet again the vitality of this country and its clear sense of identity, totally detached from its neighbours over the border.