Spain Minister of Culture Announces Resignantion

 

Spain's Minister for Culture, Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde, has announced she will quit politics altogether when the current administration comes to an end.

The Minister, who is herself a noted screenplay writer, will not be able to work in the film industry for two years after leaving office.

She was speaking in defence of the Spanish film industry at the 59th San Sebastian International Film Festival on Saturday.

"I'd like to refute the claim that there's no industry here," she said in response to comments made at Friday night's opening dinner that criticised the future of film-making in the country.

The Minister quoted statistics that showed how recent box office sales have not dropped below 600 million euros, and that the industry sustained 30,000 jobs, and produced 186 films last year alone.

The Ministry of culture has invested a total of 700 million euros in the domestic film making industry since 2004.