Month: June 2021

Over the last four years, a Spanish Netflix series called Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) has reportedly attracted the largest ever global viewership of any non-English-language series. The curious plot revolves around a meticulous bank robber—“the Professor”—who trains a group of criminal misfits to take over the Royal Mint of Spain, print up 2.4 billion euros over the course of 11 days, and make off with the money. Oddly, however, the scriptwriter’s incorporation of political themes into an apolitical genre makes for some inconsistencies in the plot that raise the question of whether the series was inspired by something other than a band of robbers.  After all, why would a non-ideological group of criminals run the enormous risks of taking over and defending buildings from Spain’s Gua...

Over the last four years, a Spanish Netflix series called Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) has reportedly attracted the largest ever global viewership of any non-English-language series. The curious plot revolves around a meticulous bank robber—“the Professor”—who trains a group of criminal misfits to take over the Royal Mint of Spain, print up 2.4 billion euros over the course of 11 days, and make off with the money. Oddly, however, the scriptwriter’s incorporation of political themes into an apolitical genre makes for some inconsistencies in the plot that raise the question of whether the series was inspired by something other than a band of robbers.  After all, why would a non-ideological group of criminals run the enormous risks of taking over and defending buildings from Spain’s Gua...

AFTER what seems like an eternity, Spain is gradually opening up again now that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is behind us. With an end to restrictions on movement, nocturnal curfews and limitations on social gatherings has come a surge of plans for the summer, including propositions that seemed unthinkable a few months back, such as large-scale concerts and local fiestas. Among those raring to go is Andreas of Costa de Valencia, a language school based in Valencia city focussing entirely on Spanish but by no means ‘just’ another academy. “Summer awaits,” he tells The Olive Press. “We are finally back after the pandemic, and we’re ready to have a good time.” ‘Having a good time’ is not usually the first consideration among language learners, but ...