With the viewing of the films of the Spanish director, Luis García Berlanga, one could also give a twist to the famous poem by Calderón de la Barca -always, with the permission of Henry James, of course- and suggest that life is cinema and dreams are cinema.

Sometimes, walking through certain places of what could well be described as the Madrid of nostalgia - precisely the one whose interest is making the profession of tour guide grow notably - I have the feeling of reliving old impressions, full of pleasant memories, of a time when cinema, even Spanish, was a great generator of dreams and illusions.

One of the oldest cinemas in Madrid - so much so that if it has not had the horrible fate of many others of disappearing from the face of this ungrateful city, it is because since 1989 it became the headquarters of the Spanish Film Library - is the Cinema Doré.

Some say that the name was a tribute that they wanted to give to that splendid French engraver, Gustavo Doré - creator, among others, of some immeasurable illustrations for works in the category of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy or even our immortal knight, Don Quixote de la Mancha, by Cervantes- who in turn, was also one of those intrepid travelers, who in the company of the baron, Charles Divillier, made his old wishes of visiting Spain come true, becoming one of those improvised chroniclers, who
at the end of the 19th century, more specifically, in 1862, it left testimony of a picturesque Spain, which today seems to lie in some remote place, who knows if the same place where the French poet, François Villon, placed the snows of yesteryear.

Part of that Cainite Spain and lover of its black legend, which both Doré and Baron Divillier had the opportunity to meet, was also reflected in the films of one of the most brilliant and prolific film directors of this country, the aforementioned Luis García. Berlanga.

Located on Calle de Santa Isabel, next to one of the oldest markets also in Madrid, the Mercado de Antón Martín, the Doré Cinema was inaugurated in 1912, although its evocative facade with a classic appearance and it could even be said that it was cheerfully unusual, dates from 1922, in a remodeling project attributed to the architect Críspulo Moro Cabeza.

Currently, the Spanish Film Library has been holding a contest with Berlanga's films and believe it or not, simply by seeing on its billboard an essential classic of Spanish cinema of all time, such as the movie 'Welcome, Mr. Marshall', they do memories overflow - hence my allusion, in addition, to those walks of nostalgia - and realize, deep down, how we have changed: full of deficiencies but rich in dreams and always ready to face the ups and downs of destiny with a smile on the lips.

That is why I repeat myself: life is cinema and dreams are cinema.

NOTICE: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property and therefore are subject to my Copyright.