Winner of the prestigious Platform award at TIFF 24, this is a striking, ambitious and impressive movie from Carlos Marques-Mercet (10,000 KM) with stellar performances from two old pros: Angela Molina, whose career dates all the way back to Bunuel’s That Obscure Object of Desire (she played the title role, or half of it), and Chile’s Alfredo Castro (No, Tony Manero, Rojo, and many others).
When stage veteran Claudia (Molina) decides she doesn’t want to passively wait for her terminal illness to take away all of her agency, her longtime partner and director Flavio (Castro) hatches a plan for them to end their lives together in Switzerland. They call the family together to break the news…
If assisted death is a challenging subject, Marques-Marcet has defied expectations to fashion an audaciously entertaining movie, with stylized musical set pieces and comedy to off-set the raw emotionalism of other scenes. As for Molina, she may never have given a better performance.
A brave, almost foolish, volcanic, pretentious, vociferous, passionate work, which, despite everything, deserves a leisurely watch.
El Pais
Carlos Marques-Marcet
Ángela Molina, Alfredo Castro, Mònica Almirall
Spain/Italy/Switzerland
2024
In Spanish and English with English subtitles
Platform Award, TIFF; Best Actress, Rome Film Festival; Silver Spike, Valladolid Film Festival
Indigenous & Community Access
Credits
Screenwriter
Carlos Marques-Marcet, Clara Roquet, Coral Cruz
Cinematography
Gabriel Sandru
Editor
Chiara Dainese
Original Music
Maria Arnal
Art Director
Laia Ateca
Also in This Series
Opening Gala: The Teacher Who Promised the Sea
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Little Loves
Teresa (María Vázquez) is compelled to change her holiday plans to help her proudly independent mother (Adriana Ozores), who has had a fall. Mother and daughter will spend a stifling summer disagreeing on everything -- but finding each other again.
They Will Be Dust
When stage veteran Claudia decides she doesn't want to wait out her terminal illness, longtime partner and director Flavi calls the family together to break the news... Fantastic musical numbers and comedy offset scenes of wrenching emotion.
The Teacher Who Promised the Sea
Based on a true story, Patricia Font’s drama excavates a dark period in Spanish history. Antoni Benaiges takes up a village teaching position in 1935. But his new-fangled ideas about learning outrage the local priest.