▁to ▁his ▁writing ▁and ▁the ▁many ▁a ims ▁and ▁possibilities ▁that ▁[ had ] ▁been ▁on ▁his ▁mind ▁for ▁so ▁many ▁years ". ▁ ▁Ada pt ations ▁▁ ▁has ▁been ▁adapted ▁into ▁three ▁Spanish - language ▁films ▁and ▁one ▁play . ▁The ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁films , ▁fil med ▁in ▁black ▁and ▁white , ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁by ▁Argent ine ▁director ▁Mar cos ▁Mad anes . ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁shown ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁Ven ice ▁Film ▁Festival . ▁The ▁cast ▁included ▁Pedro ▁Buch ardo ▁as ▁the ▁President , ▁Luis ▁Brand oni ▁as ▁Miguel ▁and ▁Ale j andra ▁Da ▁Pass ano ▁as ▁Camil a . ▁As ▁in ▁Ast ur ias ' s ▁novel , ▁the ▁action ▁is ▁inst ig ated ▁when ▁the ▁village ▁id iot ▁k ills ▁a ▁je ering ▁army ▁colon el , ▁and ▁in ▁response , ▁the ▁president ▁dec ides ▁to ▁bl ame ▁the ▁murder ▁on ▁a ▁political ▁advers ary , ▁but ▁from ▁that ▁point ▁on ▁the ▁film ▁diver ges ▁from ▁the ▁novel . ▁In ▁the ▁film , ▁an ▁oper ative ▁is ▁sent ▁to ▁spread ▁rum ors ▁about ▁the ▁accused ▁but ▁instead ▁he ▁falls ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁the ▁accused ▁man ' s ▁daughter . ▁Once ▁this ▁happens , ▁the ▁oper ative ▁def ies ▁his ▁loyal ty ▁to ▁the ▁president ▁and ▁helps ▁the ▁daughter ▁and ▁her ▁father ▁in cite ▁a ▁revolution ▁with ▁what ▁he ▁knows ▁about ▁the ▁cor rupt ▁leader . ▁Ast ur ias ▁himself ▁compla ined ▁about ▁the ▁film : ▁he ▁"