Luis Garcia Berlanga was a Spanish film director and writer who played a prominent role in the revival of the Spanish film industry after World War II. His interest in film was cultivated whilst studying law and literature in Madrid. This pushed him to join the state run film school, The Institute of Cinematographic Investigations and Experiences in 1947. He debuted as a director in 1951 with the film, ‘That Happy Couple’ before establishing himself with the 1953 comedy ‘Bienvenido, Mister Marshall!’ The film parodies the supposed utopia the Franco regime had created and was lauded for the use of irony and satire in portraying its message. The film somehow escaped strict censorship laws but lost out at the Cannes Film Festival for being “anti- American”. In 1961 he directed ‘Pacido’, which was nominated for an Oscar in the best foreign language film section. His film ‘The Executioner’ was also critically acclaimed and was nominated for the critics’ choice award at the Venice Film Festival in 1963. In 1968 he became the head of the judging panel at the Berlin International film festival and by the late 1970’s he had re-established himself in the genre of erotic fiction. In 1986 he became the first director to win the Prince of Asturias Award.