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| Director: | Antonio Giménez-Rico | ||
| Country: | Spain | ||
| Studio: | Penélope PC | ||
| Language: | Spanish | ||
| Cinematography: | Federico Ribes | ||
| Music: | Carmelo Bernaola | ||
| Editing: | Miguel González Sinde |
The Little Spanish Soldier (es|'''Soldadito español'''|links=no)[1] is a 1988 Spanish tragicomedy film directed by Antonio Giménez-Rico from a screenplay by Giménez-Rico and Rafael Azcona. It underpins a criticism to the compulsory military service.
The film follows the mishaps of a young man born to a family closely connected to the military estate who does not want to join the compulsory military service.[2]
According to Giménez-Rico the original idea for the story came to him upon a meeting of his promotion of university militia, with the screenplay later penned in tandem with Rafael Azcona. A Penélope production, the film had a reported budget of 150 million Pts.[3] Shooting locations included Alcalá de Henares.[4] The Spanish Little Soldier constitutes an early film depiction of the insubordination to military conscription in Spain.[5]
The film was released theatrically in Spain on 7 October 1988. It also screened at the 9th Mostra de Valencia.[6] It grossed 38,372,395 Pts (107,098 admissions).[7]