While at War

{{Infobox film

| name = While at War

| image = While at War.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| alt =

| native_name = {{Infobox name module|es|Mientras dure la guerra|nolink=yes}}

| director = {{plainlist|

Alejandro Amenábar

}}

| writer = {{plainlist|

Alejandro Amenábar
Alejandro Hernández

}}

| producer = {{plainlist|

Fernando Bovaira
Domingo Corral
Hugo Sigman
Alejandro Amenábar

}}

| starring = {{plainlist|

}}

| music = Alejandro Amenábar

| cinematography = Alex Catalán

| editing = Carolina Martínez Urbina

| studio = Movistar+
MOD Producciones
Himenóptero
K&S Films
Mientras Dure La Guerra A.I.E.

| distributor = Buena Vista International

| released = {{Film date|2019|09|06|df=y|Toronto|2019|09|27|Spain}}

| country = {{Plain list|

Spain
Argentina

}}

| language = Spanish

| runtime = 107 minutes

| gross = $13,475,475{{Cite web |title= Mientras dure la guerra (2019) |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mientras-dure-la-guerra-(Spain)#tab=summary|website=The Numbers |access-date=April 7, 2025}}

}}

While at War ({{langx|es|Mientras dure la guerra|links=no}}) is a 2019 Spanish-Argentine{{Cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/378467/|title = Review: While at War|first=Alfonso|last=Rivera|website=Cineuropa|date=20 September 2019}} historical drama war film directed by Alejandro Amenábar.{{cite web |last=Silvestre|first=Juan|url=https://www.fotogramas.es/noticias-cine/a27998429/mientras-dure-la-guerra-alejandro-amenabar-trailer/ |title='Mientras dure la guerra': Tráiler y fecha de estreno de la nueva película de Alejandro Amenábar |date=13 June 2019 |access-date=22 August 2019 |language=es |work=Fotogramas}}{{cite news |title=Así es 'Mientras dure la guerra'|url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2019/06/13/actualidad/1560445903_425698.html |date=14 June 2019 |access-date=22 August 2019 |work=El País |language=es}} Set in 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, the plot tracks the plight of philosopher and writer Miguel de Unamuno (performed by Karra Elejalde) in Salamanca, a city controlled by the Rebel faction.

Plot

File:Plaza Mayor, Salamanca - panoramio.jpg.{{Cite web|url=https://cadenaser.com/emisora/2018/05/30/radio_salamanca/1527677364_671931.html|website=Cadena SER|date=30 May 2018|title=Amenábar y la República toman la Plaza Mayor de Salamanca|first=Sergio|last=González Valdés}}]]

File:University of Salamanca Fray Luis de Leon cropped.jpg

During the Spanish coup of July 1936, Nationalist troops occupy Salamanca. In the process, the city's Socialist mayor is arrested. Revered author Miguel de Unamuno (Karra Elejalde) convenes with two colleagues, Protestant priest Atilano Coco Martin{{Cite web|title=Atilano Coco|url=http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Atilano_Coco.html|access-date=2021-08-06|website=www.satucket.com}} and leftist Salvador Vila Hernández; they discuss the coup briefly, after which Unamuno leaves for an interview to publicly support the coup. During the interview, the mayor's wife interrupts to ask him to intervene regarding her husband's imprisonment; Unamuno offers monetary assistance instead, which she rejects.

Meanwhile, in Spanish Morocco, a German delegation meets with General Francisco Franco to pressure the formation of a single Nationalist leader following the death of General José Sanjurjo. Franco maintains that the junta in Burgos holds power, even as his colleagues pressure him to take leadership. Back in Salamanca, Unamuno is removed from his position as rector at the University of Salamanca by the government of the Second Spanish Republic in response to his support of the coup. Unamuno meets with Coco and Salvador again, with the meeting culminating in a heated argument from which Coco leaves. Unamuno later goes to Coco's residence to speak with him, only to find that he is not there. Elsewhere, General José Millán-Astray meets with Franco in Cáceres, while the junta in Burgos reinstates Unamuno as rector of the university, where he finds that he has been prompted to write a manifesto supporting the coup, a task he rejects. Unamuno attempts to meet with Coco - his wife reveals that he had been taken into Nationalist custody days prior. Unamuno meets with Salvador, who attempts to convince him of the fascist nature of the coup.

Meanwhile, Millán-Astray urges Franco to relieve the Siege of the Alcázar in Toledo, but is rebuffed on strategic grounds – to relieve the siege would delay the war's end by years. Millán-Astray pressures Franco to assume leadership, a proposal Franco once again rejects. Later, Franco replaces the Republic's flag on his headquarters with the old monarchist flag, stirring discontent within the junta. The junta then arrive in Salamanca to meet with Franco and his generals, with whom Unamuno is called to meet. Unamuno attempts to plead for Coco's release, and is told that his case will be reviewed. Unamuno is then quietly confronted by Millán-Astray about his unwillingness to sign the manifesto, leaving Unamuno to make a decision. The junta leave to hold a vote on the leadership question, during which Millán-Astray exhorts his colleagues to vote for Franco. At the same time, the administration of the University of Salamanca meet regarding the manifesto. Unamuno assents and signs, while Franco is voted in as commander-in-chief. While leaving the meeting, Unamuno is met by Coco's wife, who presents him a letter testifying to her husband's innocence. Meanwhile, Franco visits a cathedral, where he is inspired by an image of El Cid to relieve the siege of the Alcázar, earning more fervor for his cause.

Unamuno meets with Salvador in the countryside, with whom he debates regarding the war. During the walk back, Salvador is accosted and arrested by Falangists, leaving Unamuno to walk back alone in the rain. He slips into a delirious state for several days, after which he attempts to make a personal appeal to Franco and his wife to have his colleagues released; the attempt fails, and Unamuno, anguished, informs Coco's wife. Meanwhile, Millán-Astray confronts Unamuno once again and informs him that he will be taking Franco's place in a Nationalist event at the university the following day. At the event, Unamuno initially refuses to speak, though he changes his mind after reading Coco's wife's letter. He presents a speech criticizing the nationalists, causing the crowd to turn on him, thereby forcing him out. An epilogue details the fates of several of the figures in the film.

Cast

{{cast listing|

Karra Elejalde as Miguel de Unamuno
Eduard Fernández as José Millán-Astray
{{ill|Santi Prego|es}} as Francisco Franco
Nathalie Poza as Ana Carrasco
Patricia López Arnaiz as María de Unamuno Lizárraga
Luis Zahera as {{ill|Atilano Coco|es}}
Luis Bermejo as Nicolás Franco
Inma Cuevas as Felisa de Unamuno
Mireia Rey as Carmen Polo
Tito Valverde as Miguel Cabanellas
Luis Callejo as Emilio Mola
Carlos Serrano-Clark as {{ill|Salvador Vila Hernández|es}}
Ainhoa Santamaría as Enriqueta Carbonell{{Cite web|url=https://www.elcorreo.com/alava/araba/mayor-premio-seguir-20191204200532-nt.html|website=El Correo|title="El mayor premio es seguir trabajando"|date=3 December 2019|first=Ramón|last=Albertus}}
{{ill|Itziar Aizpuru|es}}
{{ill|Pep Tosar|es|Josep Tosar}} as Enrique Pla y Deniel
Miquel García Borda as General Kindelán
{{ill|Dafnis Balduz|es}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.fotogramas.es/noticias-cine/a28490597/mientras-dure-la-guerra-alejandro-amenabar-trailer-final/|website=Fotogramas|title=Tráiler final de 'Mientras dure la guerra' de Alejandro Amenábar|date=24 July 2019}}
Jorge Andreu

}}

Release

The film had its world premiere on September 6, 2019, at the Toronto International Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.tiff.net/events/while-at-war|title=While at War|work=Toronto International Film Festival|access-date=August 22, 2019}} The film was also included in the Official Section of the 2019 San Sebastián International Film Festival.{{cite web|title='La hija de un ladrón (A Thief's Daughter)', 'La trinchera infinita (The Endless Trench)' and 'Mientras dure la guerra (While at War)' to compete for the Golden Shell at the 67th edition of the San Sebastian Festival|url=https://www.sansebastianfestival.com/2019/news/1/8061/in|work=San Sebastián International Film Festival|date=July 19, 2019|access-date=August 26, 2019}}

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through their Buena Vista International distribution label, the film was released in cinemas in Spain on September 27, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.audiovisual451.com/mientras-dure-la-guerra-debuta-en-lo-mas-alto-del-ranking-de-taquilla-y-se-convierte-en-el-tercer-mejor-estreno-espanol-del-ano/|website=Audiovisual451|title='Mientras dure la guerra' debuta en lo más alto del ranking de taquilla y se convierte en el tercer mejor estreno español del año|date=30 September 2019}}

Millán-Astray controversy

The Plataforma Patriótica Millán-Astray (Millán-Astray Patriotic Platform), an organization of veterans of the Spanish Legion, accused the script writers of plagiarism of the 1941 work Unamuno's Last Lecture by Luis Portillo, a text the organization claims is defamatory towards José Millán-Astray, founder of the Spanish Legion. The accusation was based on the content of the official trailers.{{cite news |url=https://www.elnortedecastilla.es/salamanca/veteranos-legionarios-solicitan-20190728124052-nt.html |title=Los veteranos legionarios solicitan que Amenábar devuelva la subvención por su película |first=Ricardo |last=Rábade |date=28 July 2019 |access-date=7 October 2019 |newspaper=El Norte de Castilla |location=Salamanca |language=es |publisher=Vocento}} The organization demanded the return of the public funds received for the making of the film.{{cite news |url=https://www.elnortedecastilla.es/salamanca/veteranos-legionarios-denuncian-20190824113932-nt.html |title=Los veteranos legionarios denuncian a Amenábar por plagio |first=Ricardo |last=Rábade |date=24 August 2019 |access-date=7 October 2019 |newspaper=El Norte de Castilla |language=es |publisher=Vocento}}

Reception

=Critical response=

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/while_at_war|title=Mientras Dure La Guerra|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date|df=dmy}}}} On Metacritic, the film has a score of 55 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".{{cite web |title=While at War |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/while-at-war |website=Metacritic |publisher=Red Ventures |access-date=4 July 2020}}

Dennis Harvey of Variety gave it a mixed review and wrote: "This is a worthy enterprise that errs on the side of caution, carrying the slightly stale whiff of awards-bait cinema in which greatness is frequently signaled but inspiration somehow lacking."{{cite web |date=6 September 2019 |last1=Harvey |first1=Dennis |author1-link=Dennis Harvey |title=Film Review: 'While at War' |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/while-at-war-review-1203325833/ |website=Variety }}

Jonathan Holland of The Hollywood Reporter called it "Ambitious in scope, carefully crafted and featuring several fine performances" but was in the final impression felt that the film had been limited by its faithfulness to the book.{{cite web |date=5 September 2019 |last1=Holland |first1=Jonathan |author1-link= |title='While at War' ('Mientras Dure La Guerra'): Film Review {{!}} TIFF 2019 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/at-war-review-1237168/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter }}

=Accolades=

| align = "center" rowspan = "44" | 2020 || rowspan = "2" | 25th Forqué Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Film || {{nom}} || rowspan = "2" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/cultura/cine/2019-11-21/premios-forque-2020-nominaciones_2346532/|website=El Confidencial|date=21 November 2019|title=Premios Forqué 2020: de 'Dolor y Gloria' a 'La trinchera infinita', todos los nominados}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hola.com/actualidad/20200112157914/ganadores-premios-forque/|website=¡Hola!|date=12 January 2020|title=Consulta la lista completa de los ganadores de los Premios Forqué 2020}}

| Best Actor || Karra Elejalde || {{nom}}

| rowspan = "4" | 7th Feroz Awards || Best Actor (film) || Karra Elejalde || {{nom}} || rowspan = "4" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.es/entry/premios-feroz-2020-los-ganadores_es_5e2021adc5b674e44b92cf71|website=HuffPost|title=Premios Feroz 2020: la lista completa de ganadores|date=16 January 2020}}

| Best Supporting Actor (film) || Eduard Fernández || {{nom}}

| Best Original Score || Alejandro Amenábar || {{nom}}

| Best Trailer || Rafa Martínez || {{nom}}

| rowspan = "2" | 12th Gaudí Awards || Best Actor || Karra Elejalde || {{won}} || rowspan = "2" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.vilaweb.cat/noticies/xii-premis-gaudi-totes-les-nominacions/|website=VilaWeb|title='Els dies que vindran', film guanyador dels XII Premis Gaudí|date=20 January 2020}}

| Best Supporting Actor || Eduard Fernández || {{nom}}

| rowspan = "8" | 75th CEC Medals || colspan = "2" | Best Film || {{nom}} || rowspan = "8" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.audiovisual451.com/dolor-y-gloria-encabeza-las-nominaciones-en-la-75a-edicion-de-las-medallas-del-circulo-de-escritores-cinematograficos/|website=Audiovisual451|title='Dolor y gloria' encabeza las nominaciones en la 75ª edición de las Medallas del Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos|date=3 January 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.audiovisual451.com/dolor-y-gloria-logra-cinco-medallas-del-circulo-de-escritores-cinematograficos/|website=audiovisual451|title='Dolor y gloria' logra cinco Medallas del Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos|date=21 January 2020}}

| Best Director || Alejandro Amenábar || {{nom}}

| Best Actor || Karra Elejalde || {{nom}}

| Best Supporting Actor || Eduard Fernández || {{won}}

| Best New Actor || Santi Prego || {{nom}}

| Best Original Screenplay || Alejandro Amenábar, Alejandro Hernández || {{nom}}

| Best Cinematography || Alex Catalán || {{nom}}

| Best Editing || Carolina Martínez Urbina || {{nom}}

| rowspan = "17" | 34th Goya Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Film || {{nom}} || rowspan = "17" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.premiosgoya.com/pelicula/mientras-dure-la-guerra/|website=Premios Goya|title=Mientras dure la guerra|access-date=22 December 2021}}

| Best Director || Alejandro Amenábar || {{nom}}

| Best Actor || Karra Elejalde || {{nom}}

| Best Supporting Actor || Eduard Fernández || {{won}}

| Best Supporting Actress ||Nathalie Poza || {{nom}}

| Best New Actor || Santi Prego || {{nom}}

| Best New Actress || Ainhoa Santamaría || {{nom}}

| Best Original Screenplay || Alejandro Amenábar, Alejandro Hernández || {{nom}}

| Best Cinematography || Alex Catalán || {{nom}}

| Best Editing || Carolina Martínez Urbina || {{nom}}

| Best Art Direction || Juan Pedro de Gaspar || {{won}}

| Best Production Supervision || Carla Pérez de Álbeniz || {{won}}

| Best Sound || Aitor Berenguer, Gabriel Gutiérrez || {{nom}}

| Best Special Effects || Raúl Romanillos, Juanma Nogales || {{nom}}

| Best Costume Design || Sonia Grande || {{won}}

| Best Makeup and Hairstyles || Ana López-Puigcerver, Belén López-Puigcerver and Nacho Díaz || {{won}}

| Best Original Score || Alejandro Amenábar || {{nom}}

| rowspan = "4" | 29th Actors and Actresses Union Awards || Best Film Actor in a Leading Role || Karra Elejalde || {{won}} || rowspan = "4" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.fotogramas.es/noticias-cine/a30872304/premios-union-de-actores-2020/|website=Fotogramas|title= XXIX Premios de la Unión de Actores y Actrices: Lista completa de finalistas|date=11 February 2020|first=Juan|last=Silvestre}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.audiovisual451.com/los-repartos-de-dolor-y-gloria-y-estoy-vivo-triunfan-en-los-29o-premios-de-la-union-de-actores-y-actrices/|website=Audiovisual451|title=Los repartos de 'Dolor y gloria' y 'Estoy vivo' triunfan en los 29º Premios de la Unión de Actores y Actrices|date=10 March 2020}}

| rowspan = "2" | Best Film Actress in a Secondary Role || Nathalie Poza || {{won}}

| Inma Cuevas || {{nom}}

| Best Film Actor in a Secondary Role || Eduard Fernández || {{nom}}

| rowspan = "7" | 7th Platino Awards || Best Director || Alejandro Amenábar || {{nom}} || rowspan = "7" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.otroscines.com/nota?idnota=15562|website=Otros Cines|title=Premios Platino 2020: Todas las nominaciones|date=18 March 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.fotogramas.es/noticias-cine/a31750661/premios-platino-2020-nominaciones/|website=Fotogramas|title=Nominaciones Premios Platino 2020: 'La Trinchera Infinita' lidera las nominaciones|date=18 March 2020|first=Cynthia|last=Martín}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hola.com/actualidad/20200629171160/premios-platino-ganadores/|website=¡Hola!|title='Dolor y gloria' y 'La casa de papel', las grandes triunfadoras de los Premios Platino 2020|date=29 June 2020}}

| Best Actor (film) || Karra Elejalde || {{nom}}

| Best Screenplay || Alejandro Amenábar, Alejandro Hernández || {{nom}}

| Best Original Score || Alejandro Amenábar || {{nom}}

| Best Cinematography || Alex Catalán || {{nom}}

| Best Art Direction || Juan Pedro de Gaspar || {{won}}

| Best Sound || Aitor Berenguer, Gabriel Gutiérrez || {{nom}}