Todos a la cárcel (1993)

In order to collect a long-overdue debt owed to him by the Public Administration, a small-business owner named Artemio Bermejo (José Sazatornil) attends International Political Prisoners’ Day, held inside Valencia’s Modelo Prison. The celebration, organized by Quintanilla (José Sacristán), a wily man who specializes in putting on this kind of large, lively event, is a largely political occasion attended by the region’s most prominent authorities, along with other figures from the worlds of culture, finance, and the Church. As Quintanilla tries to keep everything running smoothly, Artemio takes the opportunity to speak with the undersecretary of culture. Meanwhile, outside the prison, plans are being made to help an imprisoned mobster escape: Paolo Tornicelli (Torrebruno), an influential Italian banker and the head of a complex international criminal network. The prison governor (Agustín González) coordinates the operation, assisted by another banker, who is also attending the event. Each attendee has specific interests and goals, although they all come to the celebration professing solidarity and a desire to share a meal with those deprived of their freedom. After many complicated twists and turns, a series of interventions and events gradually intertwine, leading to an unusual riot that ends with Tornicelli, the prison governor, and his young transgender lover escaping. The ensuing pursuits, police gunfire, and prisoners’ detention of some of the guests bring the story to its conclusion.