Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle

(Muchos hijos, un mono y un castillo)

Gustavo Salmerón / Spain / 2017 / 88 min
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  • Goya® Awards

    Best Documentary

  • Karlovy Vary Film Festival

    Best Documentary

  • Hamptons International Film Festival

    Best Documentary Feature

  • Luxembourg City Film Festival

    Documentary Award - Special Mention

  • Camden International Film Festival

    Best Documentary - Special Mention

  • Cinema Eye Honors Awards

    Spotlight Award

  • José María Forqué Awards

    Best Documentary

  • San Sebastián Film Festival

  • Miami Film Festival

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In Spanish with English subtitles

“There’s something a little bit magic about Julita, something of the fairytale.” – VARIETY

Matriarch Julita’s three childhood wishes have been granted: lots of kids, a monkey, and a castle. When her youngest son realizes that his mother has lost the vertebra of his murdered great-grandmother, kept for three generations, the family launches into an outlandish search among the weird and wonderful objects Julita has hoarded in her more than 80 years, revealing a very picturesque gallery of characters.

The film walks us through the woman’s entire life, including her past accomplishments, lost dreams and future hopes, creating a loving portrait that is both universal and deeply personal.

Press

“A film that overflows with affection, warmth and humor.” – Jessica Kiang, Variety

“What viewers take away from Kids is the sense that even after 80 years of hard living, it’s still possible to live a meaningful, happy and influential existence.” – Jonathan Holland, The Hollywood Reporter

“An endearingly haphazard portrait of an extraordinary woman and the family she made — one that has discovered its own, completely unique way to be happy.” – Jessica Kiang, Variety

“An offbeat and endlessly amusing look at an off-the-wall family legacy.” – POV Magazine

“Her circumstances are specific to her situation, but Julita’s sentimentality and desire for a life that has long passed her by has a universality that is instantly relatable.” – Screen Space

About the Director
Gustavo Salmerón (b. 1970, Madrid), actor and director, studied acting in Madrid, New York City, and Havana. In these three locations he later worked in theater and film. He has taken on more than 30 movie roles and has been directed by the likes of Julio Medem, Agustín Villaronga, Manuel Gómez Pereira, J. Luis García Berlanga, Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, and Mario Camus. In 2001 he directed Salad Days (Desaliñada), which took a Goya Award® for Best Short Film, as well as awards at the IFFs in Los Angeles and Chicago, and the Canal+ France Best Short. In 2002 Salmerón began filming his feature-length documentary debut about his family, Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle, wrapping it up 15 years later.
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