Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s masterful follow-up to The Beasts (VIFF 2022) tells the story of Esteban Martínez, a notorious director embarking on a new project. Known as much for his violent tendencies as his acclaimed films, Esteban invites his estranged daughter Emilia to star in the film — a period piece about Spain’s colonial exploitation of the Western Sahara. Under the pretext of helping Emilia’s stalled acting career, the stage is set for a familial reconnection; but as tensions flare and the possibility of rapprochement grows remote, questions about Martínez’s deeper intentions rise to the surface.
No sentimental ode to filmmaking, The Beloved is a gripping psychological study of a father-daughter relationship. As Esteban, Javier Bardem gives one of his finest turns since No Country for Old Men, and he is matched beat for beat by Victoria Luengo, who plays Emilia with remarkable intelligence and tenacity. Expansive in scope yet bracingly intimate, this is a discomfiting portrait of the costs and consequences of creative control.
Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Javier Bardem, Victoria Luengo, Raúl Arévalo, Marina Foïs, Melina Matthews
Spain
2026
In Spanish, English, and French with English subtitles
At Vancouver Playhouse
At The Park & The Rio
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Credits
Executive Producer
Eduardo Villanueva, Clara Lago, Nacho Lavilla, Javier Bardem
Producer
Nacho Lavilla, Eduardo Villanueva
Screenwriter
Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Isabel Peña
Cinematography
Álex de Pablo
Editor
Alberto Del Campo
Production Design
José Tirado
Original Music
Olivier Arson
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