Anatomy of a Moment on Arte: Álvaro Morte at the heart of the Spanish coup d’état

A television image is the starting point for Anatomy of a Moment, the historical series scheduled to air on Arte: inside the Spanish Parliament, which has been stormed, three men remain in their seats while the lawmakers take cover. The drama retraces their lives to understand what brings them together in the face of the coup plotters.

The story adapts Javier Cercas’s book about the attempted coup d’état of February 23, 1981. It follows Adolfo Suárez, the outgoing prime minister; his right-hand man, General Gutiérrez Mellado; and Communist leader Santiago Carrillo. Their very different paths offer a way to revisit Spain’s transition to democracy after Franco’s death, without reducing the event to armed men storming the parliamentary chamber.

Álvaro Morte, known for Money Heist, plays Suárez, opposite Eduard Fernández as Carrillo and Manolo Solo as Gutiérrez Mellado. Alberto Rodríguez, director of Marshland, helms this adaptation, produced with Movistar Plus+, DLO Producciones and Arte France.

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The four episodes weave these portraits together with the coup’s various offshoots. The series thus reconstructs the choices and alliances that preceded the assault, rather than limiting itself to its unfolding.

For more, check out our selection of films, series and shows to watch on TV this week, our guide to new releases across all platforms, and today’s selection, What to watch streaming today.

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