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EVA has been one of the last hits of Spanish cinema. The success achieved by the science fiction picture has earned Catalan director Kike Maïllo five Gaudí Catalan cinema Awards, 3 Goya at the Spanish Film Awards and recognition at the prestigious Sitges and Venice film festivals. The success of EVA is not solely down to its director, but also to the Cinema and Audiovisual School of Catalonia (ESCAC), one of the most important film academies in the world.

Additional funds to be made available from the City Council to tackle elderly vulnerability and homelessness. The organisation’s headquarters will also move from its current location in the outskirts of Barcelona to a building over five times the size in the neighbourhood of Poble Nou.

Barça and Real Madrid are way ahead of the rest of the Spanish League in almost all individual and team stats. In many ways, their records are very similar, but there are also some striking differences.

Barcelona is a big city, with a population of 1.6 million inhabitants (its metropolitan area has 4.5 million), living in a small urban area. Consequently, all the traffic and all the local citizens can be annoying for a runner. CNA presents possible routes and some tips for running across the Catalan capital.

Spain’s largest bank presented its results for 2012’s first quarter. Barcelona-based CaixaBank has reduced its profits by 84% compared to the same period last year in order to immediately fulfil all the new financial requirements decreed by the Spanish Government in February. The Catalan bank has allocated €2.44 billion in provisions in the last quarter. CaixaBank’s CEO explained they wanted to concentrate their efforts in this first quarter. Besides, the bank’s President explained that despite Repsol-YPF’s episode in Argentina, they will carry on with their expansion plan in the Americas, with the support of Carlos Slim, opening new branches in Chile, Colombia and the United States.

The day after the Spanish Government imposed increasing the price citizens pay for medication, the Spokesperson for the Catalan Government confirmed that Catalonia will maintain the €1 drug prescription fee. The Catalan Health Minister had said earlier they would study if the drug prescription fee would be implemented. The main doctors union and Left-Wing opposition parties asked the Catalan Government to eliminate the drug prescription fee, because it would make Catalan citizens pay more for their medication than the rest of Spanish citizens.

A goal from Drogba on the stroke of half time sentenced Barça to defeat in a game where the Catalans were the better team and leaves them needing to pull back from 1-0 in next week’s second leg at the Camp Nou.

Three deputy chefs of what was recognised for consecutive years as the best restaurant in the world, El Bulli, run by the Catalan chef Ferran Adrià, are now set to open their own restaurant on the Costa Brava. It will be called ‘Compartir’, the Catalan verb for ‘to share’. They aim to offer “simple cuisine”, with dishes to share. El Bulli closed its doors last summer, however it will transform itself into elBulli Foundation, a centre to experiment with food, design and senses. It is expected to open in 2014. The three sous-chefs will also collaborate with Adrià’s new project.

The Spanish Minister of Health met with her counterparts from the Autonomous Communities to discuss measures to reduce healthcare spending by €7 billion. Pensioners will have to pay for 10% of their medication, with a maximum of between €8 and €18 per month depending on their income. Furthermore, people with a job will have to pay for 40% to 60% of the price, depending on their income. Besides, the number of pills will better adapt to prescriptions, drug purchases will be centralised and generic drug prescriptions will be fostered. Catalonia might not eliminate the drug prescription fee although the final decision will be taken once the impact of measures is fully studied. The Catalan Minister also emphasised that the main problem in Catalonia is “the system’s funding” and not expenditure, which cannot be further reduced.

Barça players face Chelsea knowing that every time FC Barcelona have won the Champions League they have played at least one game in London, either in the final or against Chelsea. The semi final against Chelsea brings back memories of the famous Iniesta goal in 2009 that won the team its ticket to Rome. Puyol and Mascherano are one game short of suspension, as are Chelsea’s Ivanovic, David Luiz, Cole and Meireles.

The Catalan capital will be the guest city in the 2013 edition of the ‘Salon du livre’ in Paris, the most important book fair in France. Barcelona is the stage where narrations take place and it is a centre of literary production, the capital of Catalan literature and of the most important editorial centres of books in Spanish.

The Catalan Government and many town halls throughout Catalonia have applied for credit funds facilitated by the Spanish Government to clear out all their arrears from 2011. The Spanish Government, together with several banks, have put €35 billion on the table for long-term credits for the Autonomies and municipalities to get rid of all their arrears with suppliers. The credit is to be returned in 10 years time, and they have to make no payments in the first two years. The Catalan Government presented 268,489 bills totalling €1.98 billion, corresponding to all its services as well as public companies and agencies. They represent 11.48% from the total €17.26 billion applied by the Autonomies.

The nearly 3,000 Barça fans that will make it to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to watch the Champions League semi-finals will be greeted in Catalan by the local team. FC Barcelona has Catalan as its first language, and the club has traditionally felt very much attached to Catalan society and culture.

Over 300 short films from more than 35 countries in 12 days. This is the summary of the 14th edition of Mecal, the Barcelona International Short Film Festival, which takes place in the capital of Catalonia until April 29th. In this 2012 edition more than 4,500 short films have been received, 1,000 more than the last edition (about 30% more than 2011). With these figures, Mecal becomes the most important festival of its kind in Spain according to the number of film entries. Mecal’s Director, Roberto Barrueco, explained that the festival’s objective is to show the best of work from Catalonia and across the globe.

The Spanish Minister for Education met with his counterparts from the Autonomous Communities and imposed 6 measures that must be adopted to save €3 billion. The Catalan Minister considers that three of the measures might invade powers managed by the Autonomies, and therefore the Spanish Government might be ruling beyond its jurisdiction. The Catalan Government will study them and does not rule out bringing the Spanish Government to the Constitutional Court. Nonetheless, the Spanish Minister reminded that, before a judge says the contrary, the measures are still obligatory. Besides, the Catalan Minister also emphasised the previous austerity efforts made by the Catalan Government also in Education, and the Spanish Ministry’s “lack of knowledge” about them.