Note: the following blog piece ran earlier this year. We’re re-posting today in honor of Trans Awareness Week, November 12-18. Special thanks to author Adam Vargas.
***
It’s no secret that the moving image can leave a lasting impact, both consciously and subconsciously. This is especially true regarding images of people engaged in struggle and/or enjoying wild success—a phenomenon that supports the necessity for thoughtful representation of people of all backgrounds and experiences in film.
Today, representation is too often conflated with diversity, but they’re not exactly the same thing. Representation goes beyond the surface inclusion of different types of people popular media—it’s about lived experience and authenticity. Of course there are all types of communities that haven’t received much authentic representations of themselves in traditional cinema. For example: the trans community, which is itself unique and disparate far beyond what has been rendered onscreen,...
***
It’s no secret that the moving image can leave a lasting impact, both consciously and subconsciously. This is especially true regarding images of people engaged in struggle and/or enjoying wild success—a phenomenon that supports the necessity for thoughtful representation of people of all backgrounds and experiences in film.
Today, representation is too often conflated with diversity, but they’re not exactly the same thing. Representation goes beyond the surface inclusion of different types of people popular media—it’s about lived experience and authenticity. Of course there are all types of communities that haven’t received much authentic representations of themselves in traditional cinema. For example: the trans community, which is itself unique and disparate far beyond what has been rendered onscreen,...
- 11/15/2023
- by Adam Vargas
- Film Independent News & More
France’s Xavier Lafitte is slated to star in “Perhaps,”, a project under development by first time director Arima León.
He’s the latest actor to become announced for a project exploring the mismatched love between poet and writer, Natalia Sosa Ayala (1938-2000) and legendary Trapeze Artist Pinito Del Oro (1931-2017). Lafitte, in a supporting role, will play Jérôme, a painter in love with Natalia who herself carries this obsessive love for Del Oro. The project joins a host of Spanish films, pitching at Ventana Sur’s Spanish Screenings this week in Buenos Aires.
The role of Pinito will be played by Goya mominated, and much loved Spanish actress, Antonia San Juan well known internationally for her work with Pedro Almodóvar in “All About My Mother.” Also forming the key cast is Tania Santana and Marta Viera
It’s a story Arima León came across by chance, “in the middle...
He’s the latest actor to become announced for a project exploring the mismatched love between poet and writer, Natalia Sosa Ayala (1938-2000) and legendary Trapeze Artist Pinito Del Oro (1931-2017). Lafitte, in a supporting role, will play Jérôme, a painter in love with Natalia who herself carries this obsessive love for Del Oro. The project joins a host of Spanish films, pitching at Ventana Sur’s Spanish Screenings this week in Buenos Aires.
The role of Pinito will be played by Goya mominated, and much loved Spanish actress, Antonia San Juan well known internationally for her work with Pedro Almodóvar in “All About My Mother.” Also forming the key cast is Tania Santana and Marta Viera
It’s a story Arima León came across by chance, “in the middle...
- 11/28/2022
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
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The countdown to Mother’s Day has begun! If you’re looking for movies to binge this weekend (or whenever you have the time), we collected a list of films that honor the complexities of motherhood. From dark comedies and feel-good dramas to thrillers and cult classics, these movies will pull at your heart strings, and in some cases, tickle your funny bone.
The selection of films below are streaming now on Amazon Prime, Hulu, or HBO Max. If you’re not signed up to any of those platforms, here’s a short breakdown of what they offer: Amazon Prime costs $12.99 a month which unlocks a massive digital store that has just about anything you might need,...
The countdown to Mother’s Day has begun! If you’re looking for movies to binge this weekend (or whenever you have the time), we collected a list of films that honor the complexities of motherhood. From dark comedies and feel-good dramas to thrillers and cult classics, these movies will pull at your heart strings, and in some cases, tickle your funny bone.
The selection of films below are streaming now on Amazon Prime, Hulu, or HBO Max. If you’re not signed up to any of those platforms, here’s a short breakdown of what they offer: Amazon Prime costs $12.99 a month which unlocks a massive digital store that has just about anything you might need,...
- 5/7/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
You can add Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s The Platform to the universe’s ever-growing list of directorial debuts that showcase anything but novice skill sets. As Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer and Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise so exquisitely pull the curtain back on humanity’s cruelest impulses, Urrutia embraces dystopian monstrosity through elementary necessities. Homo sapiens are courteous beings when benefits are personal and stakes are lowest, but thrust into survival desperation? Writers David Desola and Pedro Rivero obscure mealtime fulfillment with selfishness, vulgarity, brutality, and – most importantly – a suggestion that your neighbors would rip one’s heart out if it meant another day alive. Urrutia, fiercely, is an architect of horrific immorality with the calmest demeanor.
In an alternate future, everyman Goreng (Ivan Massagué) enrolls himself in a research project with vague descriptions. Isolation is promised, he’s allowed one item (a Don Quixote novel), and he’ll be sharing quarters with an unnamed companion.
In an alternate future, everyman Goreng (Ivan Massagué) enrolls himself in a research project with vague descriptions. Isolation is promised, he’s allowed one item (a Don Quixote novel), and he’ll be sharing quarters with an unnamed companion.
- 3/21/2020
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
"Going down is a suicide." Netflix has unveiled an official Us trailer for the highly acclaimed, instant classic Spanish horror film The Platform, the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia. This film won awards at tons of major genre festivals last year, including the Audience Award at Tiff, Best Film & Audience Award at Sitges, and Best Special Effects at the Goya Awards (Spain's Oscars). The conceptual social commentary film is set entirely in a "vertical prison." There is one cell per level. Two people per cell. And only one food platform and two minutes per day to feed them all, going from top to bottom. An endless nightmare trapped in "The Pit." I saw this at Sitges last year and raved about it, saying it's "a thrilling and rousing film that deserves our attention." The Platform stars Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan, Emilio Buale, Alexandra Masangkay, & Zihara Llana.
- 3/6/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Pedro Almodóvar’s challenging films shouldn’t be only for his dedicated fans: nobody mixes genuine human compassion with world-class filmmaking as well as he … while maintaining a marvelous sense of humor, of human proportion. This 1999 effort is perhaps Pedro’s strongest drama, and yet another heartfelt endorsement of womankind. For the life-beleaguered Manuela, tragedy and melodramatic setbacks only bring out a primal determination to heal all wounds.
All About My Mother
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1012
1999 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 101 min. / Todo sobre mi madre / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 28, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Antonia San Juan, Penélope Cruz, Rosa María Sardá, Toni Cantó, Eloy Azorín, Carlos Lozano.
Cinematography: Affonso Beato
Film Editor: José Salcedo
Original Music: Alberto Iglesias
Produced by Augustín Almodóvar
Written and Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
My descriptions of this movie can’t convey what a warm, moving, and even funny experience it is.
All About My Mother
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1012
1999 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 101 min. / Todo sobre mi madre / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 28, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Antonia San Juan, Penélope Cruz, Rosa María Sardá, Toni Cantó, Eloy Azorín, Carlos Lozano.
Cinematography: Affonso Beato
Film Editor: José Salcedo
Original Music: Alberto Iglesias
Produced by Augustín Almodóvar
Written and Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
My descriptions of this movie can’t convey what a warm, moving, and even funny experience it is.
- 2/1/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“Life Is Extremes”
By Raymond Benson
The Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film of 1999 was Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar’s All About My Mother (Todo sobre mi madre), easily one of the now 70-year-old auteur’s most beloved and accomplished works. As actress Penélope Cruz states in one of the supplemental documentaries accompanying the film in Criterion’s magnificent new Blu-ray edition, Almodóvar makes movies about extremes and he makes movies about life. “Life is extremes,” she says, and it’s an apt description of Mother.
Almodóvar is known for his highly eccentric, colorful, and socio-political dramas and comedies that often take place in the worlds of theatre, the Lbgtq milieu, and the walks on the wild side of modern urban Spain, especially Barcelona. He can be surreal, harkening back to the style of his great fellow countryman, Luis Buñuel, but one can see the more significant influence from...
By Raymond Benson
The Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film of 1999 was Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar’s All About My Mother (Todo sobre mi madre), easily one of the now 70-year-old auteur’s most beloved and accomplished works. As actress Penélope Cruz states in one of the supplemental documentaries accompanying the film in Criterion’s magnificent new Blu-ray edition, Almodóvar makes movies about extremes and he makes movies about life. “Life is extremes,” she says, and it’s an apt description of Mother.
Almodóvar is known for his highly eccentric, colorful, and socio-political dramas and comedies that often take place in the worlds of theatre, the Lbgtq milieu, and the walks on the wild side of modern urban Spain, especially Barcelona. He can be surreal, harkening back to the style of his great fellow countryman, Luis Buñuel, but one can see the more significant influence from...
- 1/22/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Nameless cooks hustle in the opening montage of Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s brutalist nightmare “The Platform.” Their kitchen is a blend of the delicate and the savage. A violinist plays as blades rip through fish, and the head chef caresses a dangling ham. When finished, they’ve assembled a still-life masterpiece of lobster, papaya and cake on a concrete slab. The feast could feed hundreds, but it never does. As it descends, level by level, down a residential tower, each pair of cellmates have minutes to gobble as much as they can before the food moves on to the next floor. With no distractions except for that day’s meal, the citadel is a test of survival and humanity. Says an intake officer (Antonia San Juan), “We prefer to call it a vertical self-management center.”
He and writers David Desola and Pedro Rivera are curious about how the poor devour each other.
He and writers David Desola and Pedro Rivera are curious about how the poor devour each other.
- 9/10/2019
- by Amy Nicholson
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights, minus select Asian territories, to the Spanish-language sci-fi thriller “The Platform (El Hoyo),” which premiered in the coveted Friday night slot of the Midnight Madness program at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff).
The film centers on a citizen of a not-too-distant dystopia who voluntarily incarcerates himself with the promise of increased social mobility upon release, but becomes so radicalized by his captivity that he will risk everything to ride a devilish dumbwaiter on a one-way ticket to protect a panna cotta.
Directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia from a screenplay by David Desola and Pedro Rivera, the hot festival buzz title starsIván Massagué (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) and Antonia San Juan (“All About My Mother”), along with Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale and Alexandra Masangkay.
Also Read: A Majestic 'Joker' Drags the Oscar Race Into the Darkness in Toronto Premiere
“The Platform” was produced by Carlos Juárez and co-producers David Matamoros and M.
The film centers on a citizen of a not-too-distant dystopia who voluntarily incarcerates himself with the promise of increased social mobility upon release, but becomes so radicalized by his captivity that he will risk everything to ride a devilish dumbwaiter on a one-way ticket to protect a panna cotta.
Directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia from a screenplay by David Desola and Pedro Rivera, the hot festival buzz title starsIván Massagué (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) and Antonia San Juan (“All About My Mother”), along with Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale and Alexandra Masangkay.
Also Read: A Majestic 'Joker' Drags the Oscar Race Into the Darkness in Toronto Premiere
“The Platform” was produced by Carlos Juárez and co-producers David Matamoros and M.
- 9/10/2019
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights outside of some Asian territories to The Platform (El Hoyo), Galder Gaztelu-Irrutia’s Spanish-language sci-fi thriller that had its world premiere Friday in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto Film Festival.
Ivan Massague (Pan’s Labyrinth) and Antonia San Juan (All About My Mother) star along with Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale and Alexandra Masangkay in the script by David Desola and Pedro Rivera. The plot: A citizen of a not-too-distant dystopia voluntarily incarcerates himself with the promise of increased social mobility upon release, but becomes so radicalized by his captivity that he will risk everything to ride a devilish dumbwaiter on a one-way ticket to protect a panna cotta.
Carlos Juárez is producer alongside co-producers David Matamoros and M. a. Angeles Hernández in association with Basque Films, Mr. Miyagi Films, and Plataforma la película Aie. Raquel Perea and Juárez are executive producers.
The deal...
Ivan Massague (Pan’s Labyrinth) and Antonia San Juan (All About My Mother) star along with Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale and Alexandra Masangkay in the script by David Desola and Pedro Rivera. The plot: A citizen of a not-too-distant dystopia voluntarily incarcerates himself with the promise of increased social mobility upon release, but becomes so radicalized by his captivity that he will risk everything to ride a devilish dumbwaiter on a one-way ticket to protect a panna cotta.
Carlos Juárez is producer alongside co-producers David Matamoros and M. a. Angeles Hernández in association with Basque Films, Mr. Miyagi Films, and Plataforma la película Aie. Raquel Perea and Juárez are executive producers.
The deal...
- 9/10/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Festival hit premiered last Friday.
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights excluding select Asian territories to the Spanish Tiff Midnight Madness sci-fi hit The Platform.
The streamer swooped in a deal with Xyz Films, CAA Media Finance and Latido Films. The film had generated strong heat since its world premiere last Friday (6). It screens again in Tiff on Sunday September 15.
Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia makes his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by David Desola and Pedro Rivero. Ivan Massague (Pan’s Labyrinth) and Antonia San Juan (All About My Mother) star in the story about a man who volunteers to be incarcerated...
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights excluding select Asian territories to the Spanish Tiff Midnight Madness sci-fi hit The Platform.
The streamer swooped in a deal with Xyz Films, CAA Media Finance and Latido Films. The film had generated strong heat since its world premiere last Friday (6). It screens again in Tiff on Sunday September 15.
Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia makes his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by David Desola and Pedro Rivero. Ivan Massague (Pan’s Labyrinth) and Antonia San Juan (All About My Mother) star in the story about a man who volunteers to be incarcerated...
- 9/10/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has acquired world rights, except for select Asian territories, to Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia's Spanish-language sci-fi thriller The Platform (El Hoyo), which had a world premiere in the Midnight Madness section at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Directed by Gaztelu-Irrutia from a screenplay by David Desola and Pedro Rivero, the drama stars Ivan Massague, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale and Alexandra Masangkay. The thriller portrays a citizen of a not-too-distant dystopia who voluntarily incarcerates himself with the promise of increased social mobility upon release, but becomes so radicalized by his captivity that he will risk everything to ride ...
Directed by Gaztelu-Irrutia from a screenplay by David Desola and Pedro Rivero, the drama stars Ivan Massague, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale and Alexandra Masangkay. The thriller portrays a citizen of a not-too-distant dystopia who voluntarily incarcerates himself with the promise of increased social mobility upon release, but becomes so radicalized by his captivity that he will risk everything to ride ...
- 9/10/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has acquired world rights, except for select Asian territories, to Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia's Spanish-language sci-fi thriller The Platform (El Hoyo), which had a world premiere in the Midnight Madness section at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Directed by Gaztelu-Irrutia from a screenplay by David Desola and Pedro Rivero, the drama stars Ivan Massague, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale and Alexandra Masangkay. The thriller portrays a citizen of a not-too-distant dystopia who voluntarily incarcerates himself with the promise of increased social mobility upon release, but becomes so radicalized by his captivity that he will risk everything to ride ...
Directed by Gaztelu-Irrutia from a screenplay by David Desola and Pedro Rivero, the drama stars Ivan Massague, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale and Alexandra Masangkay. The thriller portrays a citizen of a not-too-distant dystopia who voluntarily incarcerates himself with the promise of increased social mobility upon release, but becomes so radicalized by his captivity that he will risk everything to ride ...
- 9/10/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Notebook is covering Tiff with an on-going correspondence between critics Fernando F. Croce, Kelley Dong, and editor Daniel Kasman.The PlatformDear Danny and Kelley,Funny you mention a good night’s sleep in your last piece, Danny, as that’s a friend I have yet to meet during festivals. Fears of being late to screenings or behind on my coverage often keep me from enjoying a truly refreshing slumber, while the adrenaline of the environment keep my eyes wide open during the daily dash from title to title. As a result, there are times when I’m not quite sure if a moment or a scene or a whole movie is real or if I’ve dreamt it. The Platform, for instance, lingers like a nightmare brought on by indigestion. Given that Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s vicious sci-fi parable traffics in food, vertiginous fluctuations and hellish repetition, however, a nightmare...
- 9/10/2019
- MUBI
Read More: First Look At Pedro Almodovar's 'Silencio' Agrado, "All About My Mother" (Antonia San Juan)When Aregntine nurse Manuela loses her 17-year-old son in a tragic car accident, she quits her job and journeys to Barcelona in hopes of reconnecting with the boy's father. A longtime proponent of bringing trans identities to the big screen, Almodóvar outdoes himself when Manuela's travels reunite her with an old friend: The transsexual prostitute Agrado. Played with forceful wit by Antonia San Jaun, Agrado bares her soul and confidence during a stirring monologue in which she addresses an audience about the true meaning of "authentic." With the poise and grace of an esteemed actress on stage, Agrado brings the crowd to a rousing applause as she boldly concludes, "We must not be cheap in regards to the way we look. Because a woman is more authentic the more she looks...
- 9/25/2015
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
'Yesterday' movie: Leleti Khumalo and Lihle Mvelase. 'Yesterday' movie review: Fantastic central performance in South African AIDS drama To date, nowhere has the AIDS pandemic been felt more strongly than in Sub-Saharan Africa, home to approximately 10 percent of the world's population and two-thirds of the planet's 30-35 million AIDS cases. In the past thirty years, it is estimated that more than 20 million Sub-Saharan Africans have died from complications of the disease.* Even today, drug cocktails that are relatively accessible in other parts of the globe are still beyond the means of the vast majority of Africans. Writer-director Darrell Roodt's South African drama Yesterday is set in this catastrophic scenario. The film depicts the effects of AIDS in the life of a young Zulu woman who contracts HIV from her husband. Although Roodt's narrative maintains its focus on the plight of one particular individual, the (for non-Zulus) quirkily named Yesterday represents millions of other women,...
- 6/1/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Transsexual characters promote positive discussion, regardless of who plays them. But trans actors need more opportunities
"He's playing a transsexual," said Ben Stephenson, controller of drama commissioning, as the BBC announced that Sean Bean would star as Simon, an English teacher with an "alter ego" named Tracie in legal drama Accused. "[It's] a brilliant story," Stephenson told the Broadcasting Press Guild, "untold, I think, on mainstream television." Bean's appearance is the latest to raise an issue constantly debated within certain circles: should trans roles on screen be played by trans people?
Critiquing stereotypical portrayals in Whipping Girl, Julia Serano stated that "in a world where transsexual and intersex works of art … are not considered mainstream enough to be nominated for Emmys and Pulitzers, the facade presented in [HBO drama] Normal … profoundly shapes audience opinions about transsexual and intersex people". The problem, argued Serano, was that Normal appropriated gender-variant experiences without including transgender perspectives,...
"He's playing a transsexual," said Ben Stephenson, controller of drama commissioning, as the BBC announced that Sean Bean would star as Simon, an English teacher with an "alter ego" named Tracie in legal drama Accused. "[It's] a brilliant story," Stephenson told the Broadcasting Press Guild, "untold, I think, on mainstream television." Bean's appearance is the latest to raise an issue constantly debated within certain circles: should trans roles on screen be played by trans people?
Critiquing stereotypical portrayals in Whipping Girl, Julia Serano stated that "in a world where transsexual and intersex works of art … are not considered mainstream enough to be nominated for Emmys and Pulitzers, the facade presented in [HBO drama] Normal … profoundly shapes audience opinions about transsexual and intersex people". The problem, argued Serano, was that Normal appropriated gender-variant experiences without including transgender perspectives,...
- 1/14/2012
- by Juliet Jacques
- The Guardian - Film News
Barcelona Review editor Jill Adams selects her favourite films showcasing the vibrantly colourful, and gritty, Catalan capital
As featured in our Barcelona city guide
Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother), Pedro Almodóvar, 1999
What is arguably Almodóvar's greatest work begins with tragedy in Madrid, but soon moves to Barcelona, beginning with a breathtaking night-time glimpse of the Sagrada Familia, where the sheer buoyancy of the city steers the film in a powerful and dazzling new direction. Here Manuela (the magnificent Cecilia Roth) reunites with her old friend, the witty and wonderful transsexual prostitute Agrado (Antonia San Juan) – whose flat overlooks the Palau de la Música – while inadvertently immersing herself in the world of theatre and helping a naive young nun (Penélope Cruz). Art mirrors life mirrors art in this vibrantly colourful (literally), multi-layered tribute to women ("We are all women!'" says Almodóvar) that beautifully captures the dynamism and...
As featured in our Barcelona city guide
Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother), Pedro Almodóvar, 1999
What is arguably Almodóvar's greatest work begins with tragedy in Madrid, but soon moves to Barcelona, beginning with a breathtaking night-time glimpse of the Sagrada Familia, where the sheer buoyancy of the city steers the film in a powerful and dazzling new direction. Here Manuela (the magnificent Cecilia Roth) reunites with her old friend, the witty and wonderful transsexual prostitute Agrado (Antonia San Juan) – whose flat overlooks the Palau de la Música – while inadvertently immersing herself in the world of theatre and helping a naive young nun (Penélope Cruz). Art mirrors life mirrors art in this vibrantly colourful (literally), multi-layered tribute to women ("We are all women!'" says Almodóvar) that beautifully captures the dynamism and...
- 6/21/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
- Spain: Local Film Scene The month of April brings us one of the more important events for Spanish cinema. From the 17th to the 25th, the best in local cinema will be presented at the Málaga Film Festival. Although being quite a young competition (this is just the fest's 5th edition), the Málaga Festival has positioned itself as a great platform for burgeoning new filmmakers. La Vergüenza (Shyness) from David Planell and produced by Avalon, is the Festival's opening film. Planell’s debut in the full-length feature that comes with high expectations – some of the experts have already compared him to Daniel Sánchez Arévalo and his movie Azuloscurocasinegro (Darkbluealmostblack). In La Vergüenza, Pepe (Alberto San Juan) and Lucía (Natalia Mateo) explore the complexities of being a couple. One year after adopting their son Manu, both are exhausted and want to give the kid back. Nevertheless, they soon realize the
- 4/15/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
Madrid -- The 12th Malaga Spanish Film Festival will stay true to its roots as the premiere showcase for the Spanish film industry, offering a bevy of directorial debuts, when it runs April 17-25, organizers said Tuesday.
But as new festival director Carmelo Romero takes the reins from Solomon Castiel for the first preview of this year’s Spanish film production stressing continuity, he also has added some ingredients to spice things up.
Native son Antonio Banderas will attend the festival for the first time to present the Malaga Award to Juan Diego, whom he directed in his Spanish-language, Malaga-based film “Summer Rain.” The festival will offer a “making of” section dedicated to Banderas’ “Rain.”
Cult director Alex de la Iglesia will preside over the official jury, comprising director Sergio Cabrera; actors Jose Manuel Cervino, Ruben Ochandiano and Emma Suarez; as well as writers Lucia Etxebarria and Juan Madrid.
But the meat of the festival,...
But as new festival director Carmelo Romero takes the reins from Solomon Castiel for the first preview of this year’s Spanish film production stressing continuity, he also has added some ingredients to spice things up.
Native son Antonio Banderas will attend the festival for the first time to present the Malaga Award to Juan Diego, whom he directed in his Spanish-language, Malaga-based film “Summer Rain.” The festival will offer a “making of” section dedicated to Banderas’ “Rain.”
Cult director Alex de la Iglesia will preside over the official jury, comprising director Sergio Cabrera; actors Jose Manuel Cervino, Ruben Ochandiano and Emma Suarez; as well as writers Lucia Etxebarria and Juan Madrid.
But the meat of the festival,...
- 4/1/2009
- by By Pamela Rolfe
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ramon Salazar's "Piedras" (Stones) is an artful soap opera about five women in Madrid linked by circumstance, coincidence and chance, not to mention feet and shoes. The protracted film takes a long time to kick in, but eventually the characters' overwrought emotional lives give the story lines enough dramatic urgency to provoke interest.
"Piedras" is a natural for the festival circuit, but chances of distribution deals outside Europe are slim. An adventurous North American distributor could pitch the film to older women while playing up the similarities between "Piedras" and ensemble films by such directors as Robert Altman, Paul Thomas Anderson and even fellow Spaniard Pedro Almodovar.
Initially, shoes link the characters. Isabel (Angela Molina) has a collection that fills a walk-in closet. Maricarmen (Vicky Pena), a taxi driver, suffers from bunions, so she wears slippers. Leire (Najwa Nimri) once dreamed of designing shoes but gave that up for her boyfriend.
Mildly retarded Anita (Monica Cervera) tramps around the block daily in training shoes while her mom, Adela Antonia San Juan), works in a brothel, where shoes are seldom needed.
Soon other things connect the women. Toughened by life, Adela to her astonishment finds herself falling in love with an older businessman, Leonardo Rodolfo De Souza). Adela's ardent admirer turns out to be the estranged husband of Isabel, who punishes him for his disinterest by spending money and conducting sordid affairs.
When Adela hires nursing student Joaquin (Enrique Alcides) to look after her daughter, Joaquin decides to expand Anita's world beyond her one city block. Then when Leire's boyfriend, Kun (Daniele Liotti), dumps her, he moves in with Joaquin.
Maricarmen is raising her deceased husband's son and daughter despite the fact the latter hates her. Leire, in despair with heartbreak, seeks out her estranged father, which turns out to be Maricarmen's dead husband.
Throw in drug overdoses, alcoholic binges and a near suicide, and you have a pretty good go at "Days of Our Lives, Spanish-style." Fortunately, Salazar, a first-time writer-director, does plant agreeable surprises in his story lines. Best of all, though, is his wonderful cast.
Molina is appropriately brittle and bitter as the discarded upper-class wife. Cervera gives her mentally challenged character a childlike wonder, forever searching the world for something to call her own. Neither happy hooker nor downtrodden victim, San Juan's prostitute is a matter-of-fact working mom, shorn of sentimentality. Having little to work with, Nimri nonetheless conveys the pain of her lover's rejection. Despairing of a life of work, work and more work, Pena's taxi driver finds an outlet in nonstop, stream-of-consciousness monologues whether passengers like it nor not.
The movie, too, rambles. Subplots wander and characters dither as the tyro director gets lost in his own self-indulgence. Behind-the-camera credits are decent, especially David Carretero's night cinematography. However, not much is made of Madrid as a location, which might reflect the film's budgetary limitations.
PIEDRAS
Alquimia Cinema presents in association with
Ensueno Films and Telemadrid
and the collaboration of Via Digital
and the participation of Antena 3 Television
a Francisco Ramos production
Producer: Francisco Ramos
Screenwriter-director: Ramon Salazar
Director of photography: David Carretero
Production designer: Montse Sanz
Music: Pascal Gaigne
Costume designer: Estibaliz Markiegi
Editor: Teresa Font
Color/stereo
Cast:
Adela: Antonia San Juan
Leire: Najwa Nimri
Maricarmen: Vicky Pena
Anita: Monica Cervera
Isabel: Angela Molina
Joaquin: Enrique Alcides
Kun: Daniele Liotti
Leonardo: Rodolfo de Souza
Running time -- 136 minutes
No MPAA rating...
"Piedras" is a natural for the festival circuit, but chances of distribution deals outside Europe are slim. An adventurous North American distributor could pitch the film to older women while playing up the similarities between "Piedras" and ensemble films by such directors as Robert Altman, Paul Thomas Anderson and even fellow Spaniard Pedro Almodovar.
Initially, shoes link the characters. Isabel (Angela Molina) has a collection that fills a walk-in closet. Maricarmen (Vicky Pena), a taxi driver, suffers from bunions, so she wears slippers. Leire (Najwa Nimri) once dreamed of designing shoes but gave that up for her boyfriend.
Mildly retarded Anita (Monica Cervera) tramps around the block daily in training shoes while her mom, Adela Antonia San Juan), works in a brothel, where shoes are seldom needed.
Soon other things connect the women. Toughened by life, Adela to her astonishment finds herself falling in love with an older businessman, Leonardo Rodolfo De Souza). Adela's ardent admirer turns out to be the estranged husband of Isabel, who punishes him for his disinterest by spending money and conducting sordid affairs.
When Adela hires nursing student Joaquin (Enrique Alcides) to look after her daughter, Joaquin decides to expand Anita's world beyond her one city block. Then when Leire's boyfriend, Kun (Daniele Liotti), dumps her, he moves in with Joaquin.
Maricarmen is raising her deceased husband's son and daughter despite the fact the latter hates her. Leire, in despair with heartbreak, seeks out her estranged father, which turns out to be Maricarmen's dead husband.
Throw in drug overdoses, alcoholic binges and a near suicide, and you have a pretty good go at "Days of Our Lives, Spanish-style." Fortunately, Salazar, a first-time writer-director, does plant agreeable surprises in his story lines. Best of all, though, is his wonderful cast.
Molina is appropriately brittle and bitter as the discarded upper-class wife. Cervera gives her mentally challenged character a childlike wonder, forever searching the world for something to call her own. Neither happy hooker nor downtrodden victim, San Juan's prostitute is a matter-of-fact working mom, shorn of sentimentality. Having little to work with, Nimri nonetheless conveys the pain of her lover's rejection. Despairing of a life of work, work and more work, Pena's taxi driver finds an outlet in nonstop, stream-of-consciousness monologues whether passengers like it nor not.
The movie, too, rambles. Subplots wander and characters dither as the tyro director gets lost in his own self-indulgence. Behind-the-camera credits are decent, especially David Carretero's night cinematography. However, not much is made of Madrid as a location, which might reflect the film's budgetary limitations.
PIEDRAS
Alquimia Cinema presents in association with
Ensueno Films and Telemadrid
and the collaboration of Via Digital
and the participation of Antena 3 Television
a Francisco Ramos production
Producer: Francisco Ramos
Screenwriter-director: Ramon Salazar
Director of photography: David Carretero
Production designer: Montse Sanz
Music: Pascal Gaigne
Costume designer: Estibaliz Markiegi
Editor: Teresa Font
Color/stereo
Cast:
Adela: Antonia San Juan
Leire: Najwa Nimri
Maricarmen: Vicky Pena
Anita: Monica Cervera
Isabel: Angela Molina
Joaquin: Enrique Alcides
Kun: Daniele Liotti
Leonardo: Rodolfo de Souza
Running time -- 136 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/27/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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