Canadian Premiere
The daughter from a man’s first marriage feels left out and misunderstood at a birthday celebration for her younger stepsister. This is a beautifully made family relations story about a child’s insecurities and a father’s failure to recognize his daughter’s needs in a difficult situation. Reminiscent of Catherine Breillat’s emotionally rich works minus the sexual identity aspects, the film captures the mood and feelings of awkward belonging and frustration the daughter is overwhelmed by. Baby stems directly from the director’s experience growing up and exposes the difficulties and confusion children may have when parental relationships change.
Community Partner
Verónika Moral, Jorge Kent, Liz Lobato, María Zuheros, Bernabé Fernández, Montse Pla
Spain
2022
In Spanish with English subtitles
Featured in:
International Shorts: Family Ties
The bonds of family form the basis of this program of short films. Bonds with history and responsibility—sometimes close, sometimes strained—now and for the future.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Where to Land
Hal Hartley's first new film in a decade is a melancholy farce about mortality and what we'll call "late middle-age". Bill Sage is a semi-retired filmmaker who isn't dying faster than the rest of us but who behaves like he might be.
La Grazia
A contemplative, mournful but richly imagined movie about a retiring Italian President (Toni Servillo from The Great Beauty) facing two thorny ethical decisions that may define his legacy.
Image: © Andrea Pirrello
The Blue Star
In crisis, a popular singer quits Spain to backpack in Argentina. There he comes under the spell of a veteran musician, who teaches him the art of chacareras, zambas and vidalas. It's a journey of musical kinship and spiritual reawakening.
The Mother and the Bear
Johnny Ma’s film stars Kim Ho-jung as a Korean woman who flies to Winnipeg when her immigrant daughter is hospitalized there. This crowd-pleaser plays up cultural differences to hilarious effect and offers a touching take on mother-daughter tension.
Credits
Producer
Elena Zabía, Miguel Ángel Larraya, Fernando Bonelli
Screenwriter
Fernando Bonelli
Cinematography
Enrique Silguero, Carlos Garcés
Editor
Ascen Marchena
Original Music
Juan Antonio Simarro, Fernando Bonelli
Art Director
Isi G. San Martín
Director
Fernando Bonelli
Fernando Bonelli began his career leading Globo Media’s artistic department. In 2003, he founded Bonelli & Asociados, a company specializing in advice and legal support in the artistic field, and a few years later, Consuelo Films and Mayfield Pictures.