‘El Mal Padre,’ Inspired by ‘a Fear of Facing Fatherhood,’ Unpacked by Director Roberto Bueso

Roberto Bueso’s film *El Mal Padre* explores a father’s attempt to repair his relationship with his estranged adult children after learning he is terminally ill. The San Sebastián main competition film matters to Bueso as a personal story about grief, becoming a father and whether an older generation’s ideas about fatherhood still fit.

Eduard Fernández plays Santiago Balmes, a celebrated writer and academic whose emotional mistakes have caused lasting pain. Bueso says he and co-writer Óscar Díaz Cruz wanted to show the character’s harshness, humour and vulnerability without judging him. The film was shot in the Valencian Community, and Caramel Films is set to release it in Spanish cinemas on 20 November.