While following the fall-out that occurs after a woman wins 140 million euros on the eve of her fortieth birthday, Happy 140 is about much more than our obsession with money. This latest film from Spanish director Gracia Querejeta is a complex reflection on traditional family values, a vivid dissection of love and friendship, and above all, an entertaining multi-character study that revolves around conflicting notions of generosity and deservedness.

Led by the always extraordinary Maribel Verdú (Y tu mamá también, Pan’s Labyrinth), Happy 140’s astonishing ensemble cast boasts twenty-eight nominations and seven Goya Awards between them. This story of this woman wanting to celebrate her good fortune in the company of her closest relatives and friends—and an ex-lover she ardently hopes to win back—is the most powerful Spanish film of the past year. Querejeta has clearly inherited something special from her father, the prolific, illustrious producer Elías Querejeta, but she also has become, in her own right, a distinctive and distinguished cineaste—and one of the finest working in Spain today. – Orlando Rojas

This film is also a part of the Lexus Ibero American Feature Film Competition.