Principal photography is set to begin in April on “The Captive” (“El Cautivo”), the period adventure epic from Alejandro Amenábar, whose “The Sea Inside” won an Oscar for best foreign language film. Film Constellation has boarded worldwide sales, and will introduce the project to buyers at the European Film Market.
The film centers on the origin story of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of the iconic novel “Don Quixote.” At the age of 28, Cervantes was taken captive by the Moors in Algiers, leading to his creative birth.
The $15 million production will shoot at locations in Spain including Valencia, Alicante and Seville.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is on board to release the film in Spain next year.
The film is set in Algiers in 1575 when Cervantes, a wounded 28-year-old Spanish Navy soldier, is held prisoner by Ottoman corsairs. Faced with a ticking clock, a cruel death awaits him should his...
The film centers on the origin story of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of the iconic novel “Don Quixote.” At the age of 28, Cervantes was taken captive by the Moors in Algiers, leading to his creative birth.
The $15 million production will shoot at locations in Spain including Valencia, Alicante and Seville.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is on board to release the film in Spain next year.
The film is set in Algiers in 1575 when Cervantes, a wounded 28-year-old Spanish Navy soldier, is held prisoner by Ottoman corsairs. Faced with a ticking clock, a cruel death awaits him should his...
- 1/30/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The festival runs from September 16-24.
Spanish filmmaker Alberto Rodríguez’s Prison 77 (Modelo 77) will open the 70th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival, playing out of competition.
San Sebastian runs from September 16-24.
It marks Seville-born Rodríguez’s fifth time in the festival’s official selection.
The thriller is inspired by true events, and set during Spain’s 1970s period of transition from Franco’s dictatorship to democracy. It is produced by Atipica Films and Movistar Plus+.
In Barcelona’s Modelo prison, a young accountant, played by Money Heist’s Miguel Herrán, is awaiting trial for embezzlement, and...
Spanish filmmaker Alberto Rodríguez’s Prison 77 (Modelo 77) will open the 70th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival, playing out of competition.
San Sebastian runs from September 16-24.
It marks Seville-born Rodríguez’s fifth time in the festival’s official selection.
The thriller is inspired by true events, and set during Spain’s 1970s period of transition from Franco’s dictatorship to democracy. It is produced by Atipica Films and Movistar Plus+.
In Barcelona’s Modelo prison, a young accountant, played by Money Heist’s Miguel Herrán, is awaiting trial for embezzlement, and...
- 7/7/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The festival runs from September 16-24.
Spanish filmmaker Alberto Rodríguez’s Prison 77 (Modelo 77) will open the 70th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival, playing out of competition.
San Sebastian runs from September 16-24.
It marks Seville-born Rodríguez’s fifth time in the festival’s official selection.
The thriller is inspired by true events, and set during Spain’s 1970s period of transition from Franco’s dictatorship to democracy. In Barcelona’s Modelo prison, a young accountant, played by Money Heist’s Miguel Herrán, is awaiting trial for embezzlement, and facing a disproportionate punishment for his crime. Together with his cellmate,...
Spanish filmmaker Alberto Rodríguez’s Prison 77 (Modelo 77) will open the 70th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival, playing out of competition.
San Sebastian runs from September 16-24.
It marks Seville-born Rodríguez’s fifth time in the festival’s official selection.
The thriller is inspired by true events, and set during Spain’s 1970s period of transition from Franco’s dictatorship to democracy. In Barcelona’s Modelo prison, a young accountant, played by Money Heist’s Miguel Herrán, is awaiting trial for embezzlement, and facing a disproportionate punishment for his crime. Together with his cellmate,...
- 7/7/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The latest project from Spanish filmmaker Alberto Rodríguez, “Modelo 77” (“Prison 77”), will open the 70th edition of San Sebastian this fall.
The pic, which will play out of competition, is a political thriller set in Spain. The film stars Miguel Herrán — who is best known for playing the characters Rio and Christian Varela in “Money Heist” and “Elite,” respectively — and Javier Gutiérrez. The movie marks Rodríguez’s fifth time in San Sebastian’s Official Selection.
“Modelo 77” will screen following the festival’s opening gala in the Kursaal Auditorium on Sept. 16.
Inspired in true events, the story follows Manuel (Herrán), a young accountant who is awaiting trial for embezzlement and faces a sentence of 6-8 years, a disproportionate punishment for the crime committed. Together with cellmate Pino (Gutiérrez), he joins a group of ordinary prisoners fighting for their rights in the dawn of democracy in Spain following 40 years of dictatorship.
Rodríguez made...
The pic, which will play out of competition, is a political thriller set in Spain. The film stars Miguel Herrán — who is best known for playing the characters Rio and Christian Varela in “Money Heist” and “Elite,” respectively — and Javier Gutiérrez. The movie marks Rodríguez’s fifth time in San Sebastian’s Official Selection.
“Modelo 77” will screen following the festival’s opening gala in the Kursaal Auditorium on Sept. 16.
Inspired in true events, the story follows Manuel (Herrán), a young accountant who is awaiting trial for embezzlement and faces a sentence of 6-8 years, a disproportionate punishment for the crime committed. Together with cellmate Pino (Gutiérrez), he joins a group of ordinary prisoners fighting for their rights in the dawn of democracy in Spain following 40 years of dictatorship.
Rodríguez made...
- 7/7/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Julio Medem's Lovers of the Article Circle (1998) is showing November 17 – December 16 on Mubi in the United Kingdom and November 25 – December 24, 2018 in the United States, and Room in Room (2010) is showing November 18 – December 17, 2018 on Mubi in the United Kingdom.Room in RomeKairos is a specific word that the Ancient Greeks used to describe time, not in its lineal nature, but an opportune moment or critical, chance timing. Kairos is composed by circumstances capturing the most elusive part of our lives, half-fate, half-luck, activated by human agency. Celebrated Basque director Julio Medem, in his filmmaking strokes, has a way of taming this crucial notion of time, transforming chance encounters into kairotic human interaction. His orchestration of character development over the course of a lifetime in Lovers of the Arctic Circle (1998) or a night, as in Room in Rome (2010), represents the magical transformative power of intersubjectivity and intimacy. Both films position and...
- 12/11/2018
- MUBI
Any biopic of a great artist in any discipline tends to wrestle with the same problem: that the artist’s life, eventful though it may be, is usually less immersively interesting than their very best art. In the case of Cuban ballet superstar Carlos Acosta, the promise of watching his rise — from an impoverished childhood on the outskirts of Havana to 17 years as a principal dancer at London’s Royal Ballet — enacted by less miraculously gifted performers isn’t quite as enticing as the spectacle of that extraordinary body in motion. So it’s to the credit of Iciar Bollain’s devoted Acosta portrait “Yuli” that it effectively owns up to that issue, and does some fancy structural footwork of its own to get around it: Part straightforward biographical drama, part interpretive dance piece, it resourcefully allows Acosta to narrate his story with movement rather than speech, while two young...
- 9/25/2018
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
The Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts of Spain (Icaa) alongsie the American Cinematheque and Egeda, announced the 21st edition of Recent Spanish Cinema series, a showcase of the most outstanding recent Spanish films at the Egyptian Theatre. The film screenings will take place October 15-18, 2015. This year the producers of this annual film series will collaborate with Spanish Filmmaker, journalist, writer and producer Guillermo Fesser, who has created the poster and the promo spot with theme “Let your Spanish side out” bringing his sense of humor and unique Spanish style to the marketing campaign.
Read More: MiamiFF Review: 'Marshland' is a Provocative Thriller with Unique Political Undertones
The full schedule will be announced October 1st , but several of the films to screen as part of this exciting program have already been revealed. Take a look at some of the highlights below including "Marshland," which our writer Carlos Aguilar described as "a technically immaculate production that feels like a major motion picture while retaining its art house appeal."
- "Off Course" (Perdiendo el Norte) , 2015, 102 min. Dir. Nacho G Velilla.International Distribution: DeAPlaneta International.Hugo (Yon González) and Braulio (Julián López) both have university degrees but no jobs, and think they can escape the economic doldrums by leaving Spain for Germany. But what looked like a land of opportunity on TV presents more challenges to the two friends than they expected in this sparkling comedy. In Castillan and German with English subtitles. One of the biggest Box office hits in 2015 .
- "Happy 140" (Felices 140), 2015, 98 min. Dir. Gracia Querejeta. International Sales: Latido Films. Elia (Maribel Verdu) has just hit the jackpot – literally. One of the things she spends her 140 million euro lottery prize on is a 40th birthday bash in the Canary Islands, to which she invites a motley group of family and friends, including the ex she still pines for. But proximity to wealth can warp even the closest relationships, and the reunion soon takes a shocking turn.
-"Shrew's Nest" (Musarañas), 2014, 95 min. International Sales: Film Factory. First-time feature directors Juan Fernando Andres and Esteban Roel (and producer Alex De La Iglesia) lead viewers through a terrifying psychological maze in 1950s Spain. At its center is the apartment of Montse (Macarena Gómez, in one of the wildest performances you’ll see all year), who has raised her younger sister to the brink of adulthood. But agoraphobia and religious ritual have taken their toll on Montse, and when an injured young man (Hugo Silva) turns up at the door, help is the last thing she gives him. With Luis Tosar as the spectral father figure. In Spanish with English subtitles.
-"Magical Girl," 2014, 127 min. Dir. Carlos Vermut. International Sales: Films Distribution. Luis (Luis Bermejo) has a 12-year-old daughter with a terminal illness and a last wish – to have a dress just like the main character of her favorite Japanese anime series. The unemployed professor doesn’t have the money to purchase the dress, but thinks he can get it with a little help from a former teacher (José Sacristán) and an unbalanced young woman (Goya and Feroz winner Bárbara Lennie). Vermut’s sure directorial hand weaves multiple storylines together in this haunting (and occasionally intense) drama. In Spanish with English subtitles.
"Sidetracked" (Las Overjas No Pierden El Tren), 2014, 103 min. Dir. Alvaro Fernandez Armero. International Sales: Film Factory. The mid-life crises of three Spanish couples provide the laughs in this gleeful ensemble comedy. Luisa (Inma Cuesta of Three Many Weddings) and Alberto (Raúl Arévalo) move to the countryside, thinking it a better place to raise kids, though the change puts a damper on their sex life. Luisa’s sister (Candela Peña) and Alberto’s brother (Alberto San Juan) have their own relationship challenges - her obsessive pursuit scares men away, while his much-younger girlfriend is a little on the impulsive side.
"Requirements to Be a Normal Person (Requisitos Para Ser Una Persona Norma), 2015, 90 min.Everybody tries to fit in, but few people go about it as methodically as Maria de la Montana (writer-director Leticia Dolera), who hopes to reach normality through a 7-item checklist. Her mentally challenged younger brother (Jordi Llodra) and overweight friend (Manuel Burque) seem to have most of the bases covered, and the success of Maria’s quest may boil down to just being herself. Brightly colored and boasting a jangly folk score from Luthea Salom, this romantic comedy is, as one might hope from its title, charmingly eccentric. Winner of the Best New Screenwriter, Cinematography and Editing Awards at the Málaga Spanish Film Festival.
"Marshland" (La Isla Minima), 2014, 105 min. Dir. Alberto Rodriguez. Us Distribution: Outsider Pictures. Spain’s democracy was still on wobbly legs in 1980, particularly in the backwater of Andalucia where this tense crime drama is set. City cops Juan (Javier Gutiérrez) and Pedro (Raúl Arévalo) are dispatched to the depressed rural area to investigate the disappearance of two sisters; their differing backgrounds – one a ruthless veteran and the other an idealistic rookie – lead to increasingly unsettling discoveries. Winner of 10 Goya Awards, including Best Film, Director, Lead Actor (Gutiérrez) and Cinematography (Alex Catalán’s aerial shots are truly dazzling).
Read More: MiamiFF Review: 'Marshland' is a Provocative Thriller with Unique Political Undertones
The full schedule will be announced October 1st , but several of the films to screen as part of this exciting program have already been revealed. Take a look at some of the highlights below including "Marshland," which our writer Carlos Aguilar described as "a technically immaculate production that feels like a major motion picture while retaining its art house appeal."
- "Off Course" (Perdiendo el Norte) , 2015, 102 min. Dir. Nacho G Velilla.International Distribution: DeAPlaneta International.Hugo (Yon González) and Braulio (Julián López) both have university degrees but no jobs, and think they can escape the economic doldrums by leaving Spain for Germany. But what looked like a land of opportunity on TV presents more challenges to the two friends than they expected in this sparkling comedy. In Castillan and German with English subtitles. One of the biggest Box office hits in 2015 .
- "Happy 140" (Felices 140), 2015, 98 min. Dir. Gracia Querejeta. International Sales: Latido Films. Elia (Maribel Verdu) has just hit the jackpot – literally. One of the things she spends her 140 million euro lottery prize on is a 40th birthday bash in the Canary Islands, to which she invites a motley group of family and friends, including the ex she still pines for. But proximity to wealth can warp even the closest relationships, and the reunion soon takes a shocking turn.
-"Shrew's Nest" (Musarañas), 2014, 95 min. International Sales: Film Factory. First-time feature directors Juan Fernando Andres and Esteban Roel (and producer Alex De La Iglesia) lead viewers through a terrifying psychological maze in 1950s Spain. At its center is the apartment of Montse (Macarena Gómez, in one of the wildest performances you’ll see all year), who has raised her younger sister to the brink of adulthood. But agoraphobia and religious ritual have taken their toll on Montse, and when an injured young man (Hugo Silva) turns up at the door, help is the last thing she gives him. With Luis Tosar as the spectral father figure. In Spanish with English subtitles.
-"Magical Girl," 2014, 127 min. Dir. Carlos Vermut. International Sales: Films Distribution. Luis (Luis Bermejo) has a 12-year-old daughter with a terminal illness and a last wish – to have a dress just like the main character of her favorite Japanese anime series. The unemployed professor doesn’t have the money to purchase the dress, but thinks he can get it with a little help from a former teacher (José Sacristán) and an unbalanced young woman (Goya and Feroz winner Bárbara Lennie). Vermut’s sure directorial hand weaves multiple storylines together in this haunting (and occasionally intense) drama. In Spanish with English subtitles.
"Sidetracked" (Las Overjas No Pierden El Tren), 2014, 103 min. Dir. Alvaro Fernandez Armero. International Sales: Film Factory. The mid-life crises of three Spanish couples provide the laughs in this gleeful ensemble comedy. Luisa (Inma Cuesta of Three Many Weddings) and Alberto (Raúl Arévalo) move to the countryside, thinking it a better place to raise kids, though the change puts a damper on their sex life. Luisa’s sister (Candela Peña) and Alberto’s brother (Alberto San Juan) have their own relationship challenges - her obsessive pursuit scares men away, while his much-younger girlfriend is a little on the impulsive side.
"Requirements to Be a Normal Person (Requisitos Para Ser Una Persona Norma), 2015, 90 min.Everybody tries to fit in, but few people go about it as methodically as Maria de la Montana (writer-director Leticia Dolera), who hopes to reach normality through a 7-item checklist. Her mentally challenged younger brother (Jordi Llodra) and overweight friend (Manuel Burque) seem to have most of the bases covered, and the success of Maria’s quest may boil down to just being herself. Brightly colored and boasting a jangly folk score from Luthea Salom, this romantic comedy is, as one might hope from its title, charmingly eccentric. Winner of the Best New Screenwriter, Cinematography and Editing Awards at the Málaga Spanish Film Festival.
"Marshland" (La Isla Minima), 2014, 105 min. Dir. Alberto Rodriguez. Us Distribution: Outsider Pictures. Spain’s democracy was still on wobbly legs in 1980, particularly in the backwater of Andalucia where this tense crime drama is set. City cops Juan (Javier Gutiérrez) and Pedro (Raúl Arévalo) are dispatched to the depressed rural area to investigate the disappearance of two sisters; their differing backgrounds – one a ruthless veteran and the other an idealistic rookie – lead to increasingly unsettling discoveries. Winner of 10 Goya Awards, including Best Film, Director, Lead Actor (Gutiérrez) and Cinematography (Alex Catalán’s aerial shots are truly dazzling).
- 9/7/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The acclaimed Spanish detective noir Marshland finally arrives in the UK. It has been well worth the wait...
Two homicide detectives wade through the existential and geographical bog of Andalusia's wetlands in Marshland, a Spanish language box office hit that rides a tidal wave of critical acclaim into English-speaking markets.
Directed by Alberto Rodríguez, the film won ten Goyas at this year's Spanish Academy Awards, including Best Film and Best Director and has drawn comparisons with the HBO series True Detective and the Argentine Oscar winner The Secret In Their Eyes. In short, it's a detective noir that doesn't pull any punches, in which the Spanish sunshine is no respite from the darkness.
The film is set in 1980, during a transitional period of Spain's history as the post-Francoist modernisation of the government and economy brought about a push towards democracy. Two detectives from Madrid are busted down from their city...
Two homicide detectives wade through the existential and geographical bog of Andalusia's wetlands in Marshland, a Spanish language box office hit that rides a tidal wave of critical acclaim into English-speaking markets.
Directed by Alberto Rodríguez, the film won ten Goyas at this year's Spanish Academy Awards, including Best Film and Best Director and has drawn comparisons with the HBO series True Detective and the Argentine Oscar winner The Secret In Their Eyes. In short, it's a detective noir that doesn't pull any punches, in which the Spanish sunshine is no respite from the darkness.
The film is set in 1980, during a transitional period of Spain's history as the post-Francoist modernisation of the government and economy brought about a push towards democracy. Two detectives from Madrid are busted down from their city...
- 8/5/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Marshland
Written by Rafael Cobos and Alberto Rodríguez
Directed by Alberto Rodríguez
Spain, 2014
On the surface, the Spanish film Marshland, by director/co-writer Alberto Rodríguez, is a mere procedural. A gripping one, complete with a thrilling third act car chase and a compelling whodunit at its heart, and ornamented by gorgeous cinematography from Alex Catalán, but a buddy cop procedural nonetheless. Just underneath this captivating veneer, though, is a haunting tale about violence’s lack of transience, and one which situates it within the aftermath of political upheaval.
Not that any of this overshadows the mystery. Marshland begins in 1980, just after the the fall of the Franco dictatorship, with the mysterious disappearance of two teenage sisters in the titular countryside of Spain. Juan (Javier Gutiérrez) and Pedro (Raúl Arévalo) are the detectives assigned to the case, and their search soon turns up the girls—albeit dead, mutilated, and with evidence of having been raped.
Written by Rafael Cobos and Alberto Rodríguez
Directed by Alberto Rodríguez
Spain, 2014
On the surface, the Spanish film Marshland, by director/co-writer Alberto Rodríguez, is a mere procedural. A gripping one, complete with a thrilling third act car chase and a compelling whodunit at its heart, and ornamented by gorgeous cinematography from Alex Catalán, but a buddy cop procedural nonetheless. Just underneath this captivating veneer, though, is a haunting tale about violence’s lack of transience, and one which situates it within the aftermath of political upheaval.
Not that any of this overshadows the mystery. Marshland begins in 1980, just after the the fall of the Franco dictatorship, with the mysterious disappearance of two teenage sisters in the titular countryside of Spain. Juan (Javier Gutiérrez) and Pedro (Raúl Arévalo) are the detectives assigned to the case, and their search soon turns up the girls—albeit dead, mutilated, and with evidence of having been raped.
- 8/4/2015
- by Max Bledstein
- SoundOnSight
Damian Szifrón’s Wild Tales swept the 2nd Platino awards, launched to boost Spanish and Latin-American cinema.
Damian Szifrón’s Wild Tales dominated the 2nd Platino awards in Marbella, Spain, on Saturday [18], taking eight awards including best film, director, screenplay and actress.
A Spanish-Argentinian co-production, Wild Tales’ best film prize was picked up by Agustín Almódovar of production outfit El Deseo and Hugo Sigman from Argentina’s K&S films, who both called for stronger collaboration between the Spanish and South American industries.
The film’s main rival on the night, Alberto Rodriguez’s multi-Goya-winner Marshland, took home prizes for best cinematography for Alex Catalán and the audience awards for best picture and best actor (Javier Gutiérrez).
Other winners on the night included Brazilian film The Boy And The World as best animated feature, Wim Wenders and Joao Ribeiro Salgado’s The Salt Of The Earth as best documentary, and director Claudia Pinto’s Venezuelan-Spanish co-production The [link...
Damian Szifrón’s Wild Tales dominated the 2nd Platino awards in Marbella, Spain, on Saturday [18], taking eight awards including best film, director, screenplay and actress.
A Spanish-Argentinian co-production, Wild Tales’ best film prize was picked up by Agustín Almódovar of production outfit El Deseo and Hugo Sigman from Argentina’s K&S films, who both called for stronger collaboration between the Spanish and South American industries.
The film’s main rival on the night, Alberto Rodriguez’s multi-Goya-winner Marshland, took home prizes for best cinematography for Alex Catalán and the audience awards for best picture and best actor (Javier Gutiérrez).
Other winners on the night included Brazilian film The Boy And The World as best animated feature, Wim Wenders and Joao Ribeiro Salgado’s The Salt Of The Earth as best documentary, and director Claudia Pinto’s Venezuelan-Spanish co-production The [link...
- 7/20/2015
- by jsardafr@hotmail.com (Juan Sarda)
- ScreenDaily
"Marshland" (La Isla Minima) had its U.S. Premier at the Miami Dade College's Miami International Film Festival on March 12, 2015 - Isa: Film Factory Entertainment, U.S. Distribution: Outsider Pictures
Tight-sealed secrets begin to come undone in a ramshackle Spanish small town when a gruesome discovery brings a pair of outsiders to investigate in Alberto Rodríguez’ enigmatic thriller “Marshland” (La Isla Minima). Set in the 1980s post-Franco era, the mysterious events carry deep-rooted fears and an ever-present sense of mistrust associated with the fact that the "democratic state" is still something new.
Brutal repression and corruption were the norm for many decades here, and to think it all has changed so fast is more an illusion than anything anyone really believes. This murky divide between the new Spain that exists in theory and the darkness that lies underneath corroding society is encompassed in a film that deliberately opens many cans of worms but doesn't focus on tying all the lose ends, is in that vagueness that Rodriguez achieves brilliance.
Removed from their original posts in the city due to undisclosed circumstances, two homicide detectives are entrusted with the mission of finding two missing teenage girls in the wetlands of Rio Guadalquivir in southern Spain. For Pedro (Raúl Arévalo), the youngest and more idealistic of the two, this assignment feels like a punishment. He plays by the rules and does his job with an unflinching sense of duty. Pedro has definitely more at stake than his partner, Juan (Javier Gutiérrez), who is outspoken about not wishing to become a hero. While both may have unflattering baggage, Juan's past quickly reveals itself to be one helmed by ruthless violence. Polarizing ideologies an all, the odd duo must reach a middle ground in order to successfully find the girls, or those who might have hurt them.
The well-known good cop/bad cop dynamic comes into play when Juan and Pedro try to get information from the frightened locals. On the surface Juan’s approach is much more relaxed and goes along with the idiosyncrasies of this remote place. He speaks calmly and even appears sympathetic to everyone’s concerns. This is a man with experience, even if it was forged by questionable practices during the military dictatorship. Gutierrez marvelously imbues his character with unnerving ambiguity as if every decision he makes is somewhere in between a genuine intention to solve the case and a self-serving tactic to take advantage of the situation. Honest Pedro abides by opposite principles and comes off as an insensitive snub at first in the eyes of the townspeople. His family back home is a constant reminder that he needs to remain focused and get this done fast. Contrasting with Gutierrez’ seemingly nonchalant performance, Arevalo exudes trustworthiness still untainted by cynicism. Both thespians give “Marshland” a set of balanced perspectives needed to take on what will be thrown at them.
Guiding us through a tapestry of deceit with every twist, Rodriguez reveals small glimpses of what could be the truth in every scene. Insignificant pieces of new information that slowly build a puzzle far more complex than expected. Following several visits to the missing girls' parents, their classmates, and other people who might have seen something, the two detectives are pointed to Quini (Jesús Castro), the town’s Casanova. The blue-eyed young man is known as “El Guapo” or “The Handsome One,” and has an arrogant attitude that makes him a prime suspect in the investigation. But when the girl’s bodies are found raped, tortured, and mutilated, Juan and Pedro realize that these murders are just the tip of the iceberg in an intricate criminal network fueled by hopelessness.
Supporting the director's piercing vision of his homeland at a crucial and transformative time is Alex Catalán's exquisite cinematography, which matches the caliber of any American studio production. Especially stunning is the opening credit sequence that highlights the otherworldly landscapes of the region adding to the story’s allure. By focusing on the vastness and isolation that mark this rice-producing part of the country, the film allows for the horrendous to hide in plain sight and become all the more intriguing.
Once the lifeless victims appear, the protagonists’ quest turns into a manhunt to track down whoever is behind it before he or she kills again, but the motivations are as difficult to pinpoint as the perpetrators. Poverty is at the center of most vices that afflict this community. People here - particularly young girls - want to escape the lack of opportunities and see any job prospects in the city as a magical chance for a new life. Those who abducted and murdered the sisters preyed on that desire and their naïve hopes. Underscoring the central conflict are other subtle indicators that the reason behind these events is dubious. There are farm workers on strike asking for better wages from the local tycoon who indiscriminately profits from the land, and an overall atmosphere of desperation permeates most households.
Under such strenuous financial pressures it’s not surprising that people are willing to venture into illegal activities, but with every new uncovered clue the detectives have to shift their attention from drug trafficking, to what could be some sort of snuff photography, to the possibility of the girls’ families being involved. It’s a tricky plot to wrap one’s head around. Eventually - and elevating the tension to even greater heights - Juan’s turbulent history is presented to Pedro by an avid journalist, but by now a supportive relationship has developed between the two partners. Instinctively Pedro refuses to believe the Juan he knows and the one from his past are the same person, but caution is his best ally.
Even with the countless subplots and red herrings that construct it, “Marshland” never loses sight of its core subject that resides within Pedro and Juan’s shaky bond. One represents the romanticized idea of justice that should reign over a nation reborn, while the other works as a reminder that the malevolent practices that savagely oppressed them never perished. Arevalo and Goya Award-winner Gutierrez are superb in every turn of this maze-like mystery. They manage to encapsulate the complexities of two opposing visions of Spain in their performances. Their rapport is so effective on screen that at times Arevalo‘s Pedro takes on the violent qualities of his fellow detective, and the lines between the two dramatically blur.
Certainty and unquestionable answers aren’t included in “Marshland,” and that could be problematic for the spectator that looks for closure, but by forfeiting the notion that everything must be resolved, Rodriguez crafts a much more enthralling film. He distills the troubles of modern Spain into a classically arranged thriller, and through that familiar premise the filmmaker manages to create so much more. One small town and a handful of characters express more about the country’s societal division than a larger scale story could. “Marshland” is also a technically immaculate production on all fronts from the costume design to its chilling musical score. It feels like a major motion picture while retaining its art house appeal. With a film like this, it would seem like Alberto Rodriguez is ready for Hollywood, but let’s hope he continues to make works as thought provoking as this, because “Marshland” is definitely an extraordinary, career-defining achievement.
Follow SydneysBuzz on Twitter @sydneysbuzz and on Facebook
Follow Carlos Aguilar on Twitter @Carlos_Film and on Instagram @carlosfilm...
Tight-sealed secrets begin to come undone in a ramshackle Spanish small town when a gruesome discovery brings a pair of outsiders to investigate in Alberto Rodríguez’ enigmatic thriller “Marshland” (La Isla Minima). Set in the 1980s post-Franco era, the mysterious events carry deep-rooted fears and an ever-present sense of mistrust associated with the fact that the "democratic state" is still something new.
Brutal repression and corruption were the norm for many decades here, and to think it all has changed so fast is more an illusion than anything anyone really believes. This murky divide between the new Spain that exists in theory and the darkness that lies underneath corroding society is encompassed in a film that deliberately opens many cans of worms but doesn't focus on tying all the lose ends, is in that vagueness that Rodriguez achieves brilliance.
Removed from their original posts in the city due to undisclosed circumstances, two homicide detectives are entrusted with the mission of finding two missing teenage girls in the wetlands of Rio Guadalquivir in southern Spain. For Pedro (Raúl Arévalo), the youngest and more idealistic of the two, this assignment feels like a punishment. He plays by the rules and does his job with an unflinching sense of duty. Pedro has definitely more at stake than his partner, Juan (Javier Gutiérrez), who is outspoken about not wishing to become a hero. While both may have unflattering baggage, Juan's past quickly reveals itself to be one helmed by ruthless violence. Polarizing ideologies an all, the odd duo must reach a middle ground in order to successfully find the girls, or those who might have hurt them.
The well-known good cop/bad cop dynamic comes into play when Juan and Pedro try to get information from the frightened locals. On the surface Juan’s approach is much more relaxed and goes along with the idiosyncrasies of this remote place. He speaks calmly and even appears sympathetic to everyone’s concerns. This is a man with experience, even if it was forged by questionable practices during the military dictatorship. Gutierrez marvelously imbues his character with unnerving ambiguity as if every decision he makes is somewhere in between a genuine intention to solve the case and a self-serving tactic to take advantage of the situation. Honest Pedro abides by opposite principles and comes off as an insensitive snub at first in the eyes of the townspeople. His family back home is a constant reminder that he needs to remain focused and get this done fast. Contrasting with Gutierrez’ seemingly nonchalant performance, Arevalo exudes trustworthiness still untainted by cynicism. Both thespians give “Marshland” a set of balanced perspectives needed to take on what will be thrown at them.
Guiding us through a tapestry of deceit with every twist, Rodriguez reveals small glimpses of what could be the truth in every scene. Insignificant pieces of new information that slowly build a puzzle far more complex than expected. Following several visits to the missing girls' parents, their classmates, and other people who might have seen something, the two detectives are pointed to Quini (Jesús Castro), the town’s Casanova. The blue-eyed young man is known as “El Guapo” or “The Handsome One,” and has an arrogant attitude that makes him a prime suspect in the investigation. But when the girl’s bodies are found raped, tortured, and mutilated, Juan and Pedro realize that these murders are just the tip of the iceberg in an intricate criminal network fueled by hopelessness.
Supporting the director's piercing vision of his homeland at a crucial and transformative time is Alex Catalán's exquisite cinematography, which matches the caliber of any American studio production. Especially stunning is the opening credit sequence that highlights the otherworldly landscapes of the region adding to the story’s allure. By focusing on the vastness and isolation that mark this rice-producing part of the country, the film allows for the horrendous to hide in plain sight and become all the more intriguing.
Once the lifeless victims appear, the protagonists’ quest turns into a manhunt to track down whoever is behind it before he or she kills again, but the motivations are as difficult to pinpoint as the perpetrators. Poverty is at the center of most vices that afflict this community. People here - particularly young girls - want to escape the lack of opportunities and see any job prospects in the city as a magical chance for a new life. Those who abducted and murdered the sisters preyed on that desire and their naïve hopes. Underscoring the central conflict are other subtle indicators that the reason behind these events is dubious. There are farm workers on strike asking for better wages from the local tycoon who indiscriminately profits from the land, and an overall atmosphere of desperation permeates most households.
Under such strenuous financial pressures it’s not surprising that people are willing to venture into illegal activities, but with every new uncovered clue the detectives have to shift their attention from drug trafficking, to what could be some sort of snuff photography, to the possibility of the girls’ families being involved. It’s a tricky plot to wrap one’s head around. Eventually - and elevating the tension to even greater heights - Juan’s turbulent history is presented to Pedro by an avid journalist, but by now a supportive relationship has developed between the two partners. Instinctively Pedro refuses to believe the Juan he knows and the one from his past are the same person, but caution is his best ally.
Even with the countless subplots and red herrings that construct it, “Marshland” never loses sight of its core subject that resides within Pedro and Juan’s shaky bond. One represents the romanticized idea of justice that should reign over a nation reborn, while the other works as a reminder that the malevolent practices that savagely oppressed them never perished. Arevalo and Goya Award-winner Gutierrez are superb in every turn of this maze-like mystery. They manage to encapsulate the complexities of two opposing visions of Spain in their performances. Their rapport is so effective on screen that at times Arevalo‘s Pedro takes on the violent qualities of his fellow detective, and the lines between the two dramatically blur.
Certainty and unquestionable answers aren’t included in “Marshland,” and that could be problematic for the spectator that looks for closure, but by forfeiting the notion that everything must be resolved, Rodriguez crafts a much more enthralling film. He distills the troubles of modern Spain into a classically arranged thriller, and through that familiar premise the filmmaker manages to create so much more. One small town and a handful of characters express more about the country’s societal division than a larger scale story could. “Marshland” is also a technically immaculate production on all fronts from the costume design to its chilling musical score. It feels like a major motion picture while retaining its art house appeal. With a film like this, it would seem like Alberto Rodriguez is ready for Hollywood, but let’s hope he continues to make works as thought provoking as this, because “Marshland” is definitely an extraordinary, career-defining achievement.
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- 3/13/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Marshland
Written by Rafael Cobos and Alberto Rodríguez
Directed by Alberto Rodríguez
Spain, 2014
The disorientating topography of the Andalusian swamplands provides the backdrop for Marshland, an atmospheric murder mystery from Spanish director Alberto Rodríguez. It opens to a series of spectacular aerial shots, taken from directly above, which transform the landscape into something alien and organic, like brightly coloured brain tissue. Birds and agricultural workers moving across the surface only emphasise the strangeness of the territory, showing how limited the perspective is from ground level. In theory, seeing the bigger picture should add clarity – the film returns to these shots at moments of revelation – but, rather than doing so, it exposes the gaps in the characters’ understanding and seems to suggest that some puzzles are too big to solve.
Marshland is set in 1980, a time when Spain is still emerging from the Franco era and adapting to the new democratic regime.
Written by Rafael Cobos and Alberto Rodríguez
Directed by Alberto Rodríguez
Spain, 2014
The disorientating topography of the Andalusian swamplands provides the backdrop for Marshland, an atmospheric murder mystery from Spanish director Alberto Rodríguez. It opens to a series of spectacular aerial shots, taken from directly above, which transform the landscape into something alien and organic, like brightly coloured brain tissue. Birds and agricultural workers moving across the surface only emphasise the strangeness of the territory, showing how limited the perspective is from ground level. In theory, seeing the bigger picture should add clarity – the film returns to these shots at moments of revelation – but, rather than doing so, it exposes the gaps in the characters’ understanding and seems to suggest that some puzzles are too big to solve.
Marshland is set in 1980, a time when Spain is still emerging from the Franco era and adapting to the new democratic regime.
- 2/22/2015
- by Rob Dickie
- SoundOnSight
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