The Film ‘Papeles’ by the Panamanian Montenegro Will Premiere at a Film Festival

Papeles translates to ‘Papers’ in English, and is a co-production between Spain, Panama and Uruguay, inspired by the Panama Papers scandal.

The thriller “Papeles” or ‘Papers’, directed by Panamanian Arturo Montenegro, and starring Spanish actors Megan Montaner and Carlos Bardem, will open the 24th edition of the Almería International Film Festival (FICAL), which will be held from November 14 to 23.  The film will be presented by its stars, Montaner, Bardem and Antonio Dechent, during the festival’s opening gala, according to Almudena Morales, the deputy for Culture, Cinema and Identity of Almería.  “Papeles” or ‘Papers’, a co-production between Spain, Panama and Uruguay, is inspired by the Panama Papers scandal, and addresses the human, political and media consequences of that 2016 leak.


Montenegro, previously nominated for the Forqué Awards and the Golden Globes for Birthday Boy, explained that he wanted to “face that pain head-on and tell it truthfully, without bias and from a place of hope.”  Producer Patricia González indicated that the film “explores the other side of the story: what happens inside a firm singled out by the whole world as a symbol of global corruption.”  The film recreates the plot of the biggest hack in history, with the leak of nearly twelve million documents. After its premiere at FICAL, Papers will arrive in Spanish cinemas on December 5.