Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzmán is best known for his scathing documentaries on the Pinochet regime. But in MADRID he offers up a whimsical, personal view of one of the world's truly great cities.

The outskirts of Madrid are a mess of anonymous freeways. But inside the traffic-snarled ring lays the heart of the old city, a place where people enjoy the finest things in life: superb food, engaging conversation, and the company of friends.

In the Rastro, an open-air flea market that Guzman says is "spontaneous and natural and thrives on affection," a shopper joins a busker, breaking into an informal flamenco performance. At a restaurant so famous its location is a well-kept secret, patrons can linger five hours or more over a meal lovingly home-cooked by a middle-aged matriarch. A pastry shop features dozens and dozens of enticing delights, and a clientele familiar with them all.

MADRID is not the typical travelogue, highlighting must-see tourist spots. Instead it captures the feeling of the city and of life for Madrilenos. It is a documentary made by a man who clearly feels more passion for Madrid than for any other city on Earth.