Oh if Juan were a little less sullen
"Serve yourself 1KG of joy before you leave", reads the sign on one of the doors of the Vallehermoso Market . And joy, sympathy and happiness is precisely what Juan (Luis Bermejo) needs, the protagonist of 22 again , the new advertisement for the Christmas Lottery that has chosen this Madrid market as its setting.
Among his posts, the director Javier Ruiz Caldera tells us the story of this sullen locksmith who will be trapped on an eternal December 22, a groundhog day in which the lottery draw is repeated.
"Serve yourself 1KG of joy before you leave"
Time and time again the number given by the actress wins Chiqui Fernandez , behind the bar of El Cafetín where Juan drinks his coffee every morning. No, don't look for it when you go to the Vallehermoso Market because it doesn't exist. To bring this bar to life, the authors of the short have used the stall of Cervezas La Virgen.
The protagonist of 22 Again seems to live, moreover, halfway between Vallehermoso Market and Antón Martín Market, because when he leaves his house in the morning, the corner that turns is that of the La Fugitiva bookstore, at number 7 of Santa Isabe street l.
This small bookstore, packed with books, brings together all the charm of the classic neighborhoods of Madrid: upon entering, you will hear only the soft music and the creaking of the wooden boards under your feet . You can order a coffee, a tea and a piece of biscuit to accompany your reading with warm sips while life goes by on Calle Santa Isabel.
Thus, after winning the Christmas Gordo in a loop, what Juan considered a blessing , ends up turning into a nightmare that he will have to figure out how to get out of.
BUT WHY A MARKET AS A STAGE?
Concepcion Diaz de Villegas Solans , General Director of Commerce and Entrepreneurship of the Madrid City Council, has the answer: "The markets They are spaces for meeting and relating between people. , and as such, contribute to improve people's quality of life. The markets facilitate personal treatment, closeness, knowledge of the neighbors..."
At Traveler.es we have witnessed how the markets have gone from being mere stalls for sale to the public to almost a neighborhood and neighborhood phenomenon : the market, once again, as a meeting place and as a place to meet up with friends and family. Such is the case of the advertised market, Vallehermoso, or the Mercado de San Fernando in Lavapiés, known for its weekend "fiestas". And this is no mere coincidence...
Concha continues: "The City Council actively promotes the modernization and improvement of the markets. The strategic lines of action are included in the Strategic Plan for municipal markets 2017-2021 , a plan whose objective is to convert the network of municipal markets into a benchmark of excellence in food trade , in a benchmark for the social cohesion of neighborhoods and in a model of economic dynamization in the districts”.
"We could say that it is the perfect amalgamation of experience and youth; the fusion of tradition and innovation; the experience of the traditional merchants, the youth of the new entrepreneurs; the tradition of lifelong trade , the innovation of new commercial formats, products...", says Concha.
Without a doubt, this 2019, the lottery is to go back to the usual market and make a neighborhood.