North American Premiere
Amparo lives in an old abandoned haberdashery in the centre of Madrid. Her only companion is Carmela, a plastic bag whom she considers her daughter. This is a truly black comedy, a delightful combination of absurdity and satire with a dash of slapstick violence thrown in for good measure, and a witty subtext about the use of plastics in our society. Terrific performances highlight this original tale where a woman’s life is suddenly turned into a clash of ideologies. The film is set up as a drama, which only enhances the comedy—just twisted and over-the-top enough to make the humour really work without being ridiculous, while hitting on important themes like environmentalism, loneliness, and mental health.
Community Partner
Jose Mota, Laura Gómez-Lacueva, Elisabet Terri
Andorra/Spain
2022
In Spanish with English subtitles
Featured in:
International Shorts: Having a Bad Day
Misadventures, bad choices, and a series of unfortunate events are all present in this program of short films. There is some serious drama and a bit of comedy on display in these exhilarating, thoughtful, and unpredictable tales.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Silence
This sober, probing examination of faith, ego, cruelty and compassion is the most underrated film from the often under-valued latter half of Martin Scorsese's brilliant career; a passion project, about Catholic missionaries in 17th Century Japan.
Souleymane's Story
Exhausted by the grueling grind of the Parisian gig economy and hopping between homeless shelters, Guinean immigrant Souleymane races against time to prepare for his asylum interview. An angry, tender film which is as gripping as any thriller.
Hard Eight
Anderson's debut is a deceptively modest character piece about a veteran gambler (Philip Baker Hall) who takes a much younger man under his wing and teaches him how to play the system and win. Until things take a darker turn...
The Last Class
Economist and former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich embarks on what will be his last year teaching at Berkeley. What can he impart to the latest generation to inspire and empower them for the grievous challenges ahead?
Credits
Producer
David Ortiz, Jose Pozo
Screenwriter
Jose Pozo
Cinematography
Luis Ángel Pérez
Editor
Pep Carrique
Original Music
Óscar Araujo
Director
Jose Pozo
A producer, screenwriter, and director of animated films, Jose Pozo won awards for the feature film El Cid, La leyenda (2004). He wrote and directed the feature film Nick (2017), which won 14 international awards. He is preparing his fifth feature film, Unusual Cowboys (2022). The script was a finalist in the drama category of the 2020 Big Break Festival’s Final Draft.
Filmography: El Cid, La leyenda (2004); Donkey Xote (2007); Nick (2017)