Lots of kids, a monkey and a castle

There’s something distinct about documentaries about the director’s own family. No one knows their subjects better, none can get as close, no one feels the same kind of love. The same is the case with Lots of kids, a monkey and a castle, in which Gustavo Salmerón follows his mother Julita. The title of the film is a play upon Julita’s three wishes as a young woman, and when we meet her it’s been years since all three came true. Did life play out the way she had imagined?

Although this is a very personal film, Salmerón explores many universal themes that he builds around the story of his eccentric mother. We meet the entire family, and learn a lot about their history; but the film also goes further back in time and further out into Spain. Thanks to Julita’s larger-than-life personality, the result is an entertaining and warm portrait – even when she protests her son’s plans for the film. «This is not for the cinema», she says, «it’s a home movie!». And though it might look a bit like it, handheld camera and all, the great sense of humour and experiences from a fully lived life that Julita share with us makes this a film that will be highly relatable to most of us.