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Mostra De Valencia · 2019

Mostra De Valencia 2019

Informative Section

Programme

15 films · 5 reviews

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Alice And The Mayor (Alice et le Maire)

The mayor of Lyon, Paul Théraneau, is in a delicate position. After 30 years in politics, he is running out of ideas... his solution is to hire a new employee, who has very different ideas to his own.

(Country: France; Year: 2019; Director: Nicolas Pariser; Writer: Nicolas Pariser; Stars: Fabrice Luchini, Anaïs Demoustier, Nora Hamzawi, Léonie Simaga, Antoine Reinartz, Maud Wyler, Alexandre Steiger, Pascal Rénéric, Thomas Rortais, Thomas Chabrol, Gwenaëlle Simon, Sébastien Autret, Fabrice Luchini, Anaïs Demoustier, Nora Hamzawi)

Are You Glad I'm Here?

Review preview for Are You Glad I'm Here?

This domestic drama set in Lebanon also has elements of black humour, which is unique in comparison to other Lebanese films.

Maryam Ghorbankarimi · 3.5 out of 5
A millennial American woman befriends a Lebanese housewife and disrupts her ordered life. One night they become accidental partners-in-crime.

(Country: Lebanon; Year: 2018; Director: Noor Gharzeddine; Writer: Samuel Cyrenius Anderson; Stars: Tess Elliot, Marwa Khalil, Nadim Deaibes)

Full review

Dafne

Dafne is a self-aware and bright young woman with Down syndrome. When her mother dies, she has to attend to her father too, on top of attempting to process her own grief.

(Country: Italy; Year: 2019; Director: Federico Bondi; Stars: Stefania Casini, Antonio Piovanelli, Carolina Raspanti, Stefania Casini, Antonio Piovanelli, Carolina Raspanti)

Diamond Dust

A man who works part-time in a pharmacy to overcome his financial situation finds out his father was killed and decides to seek revenge.

(Country: Egypt; Year: 2018; Director: Marwan Hamed; Writer: Ahmed Mourad; Stars: Asser Yassin, Menna Shalabi, Maged El Kedwany, Mohamed Mamdouh, Eyad Nassar, Ahmed Kamal, Adel Karam, Sabreen, Sherine Reda, Passant Shawky, Ezzat El Alaili, Mahmoud El-Bezzawy, Rosaline Elbay, Tara Emad, Bayyumi Fuad)

Freedom Fields

Review preview for Freedom Fields

Arebi's patiently observational film is full of small moments that encapsulate horrific prejudice or warm, resilient humour.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
Documentary spanning six years in the life of Libya’s nascent women’s football scene.

(Country: Libya; Year: 2018; Director: Naziha Arebi)

Full review

Head Above Water (Marche ou crève)

Teenager Elisa is stranded living at her parents’ house after the sudden departure of her mother, a move that leaves Elisa and her father to take care of Elisa’s older sister, Manon, who has mental and physical disabilities.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Tatiana Margaux Bonhomme; Stars: Diane Rouxel, Jeanne Cohendy, Cédric Kahn, Pablo Pauly, Clémentine Allain, Yoli Fuller, Chiara Mastroianni)

The Healer (Mbarkaa)

The fate of a teenager, his midwife mum and a pickpocket become entwined.

(Country: Morocco; Year: 2018; Director: Mohamed Zineddaine; Stars: Ahmed Moustafid, Fatima Atif, Mehdi Laarroubi, Hanane Elkabani, Nosrine Adam)

The Innocence (La Inocencia)

A teenager finds her dreams of being a circuit artist threatened over the course of a summer.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2019; Director: Lucía Alemany; Writer: Lucía Alemany, Laia Soler; Stars: Sergi López, Laia Marull, Sonia Almarcha, Joel Bosqued, Carmen Arrufat, Carmen Arrufat, Sergi López, Laia Marull, Sonia Almarcha, Joel Bosqued, Carmen Arrufat, Carmen Arrufat)

Mar

A woman embarks on a boat where she relives the memory of the Portuguese maritime saga.

(Country: Portugal; Year: 2018; Director: Margarida Gil; Writer: Rita Benis, Margarida Gil; Stars: Maria de Medeiros, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Catarina Wallenstein, Nuno Lopes, Dinis Gomes, Marcello Urgeghe, Augusto Amado, Cassiano Carneiro, José Nascimento, Maria de Medeiros, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Catarina Wallenstein, Nuno Lopes, Dinis Gomes, Marcello Urgeghe)

Matar Al Rey

King Henry IV has died. The interests of several characters, intrigues, conspiracies and the mysterious life of the monarch make it difficult to find out the truth about his death.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2016; Director: Vicent Monsonís; Writer: Chema Cardeña; Stars: Chema Cardeña, Juan Carlos Garés, Rosa López, Iria Márquez, Jaime Vicedo, Chema Cardeña, Juan Carlos Garés, Rosa López, Iria Márquez, Jaime Vicedo)

Les Misérables

Review preview for Les Misérables

Ly wanted the people who have lived in these schemes to have the chance to tell their own stories, which gives Les Misérables an unerring sense of authenticity.

Richard Mowe · 4 out of 5
A man joins an anti-crime brigade and rapidly discovers the tensions between the various neighbourhood groups.

(Country: France; Year: 2019; Director: Ladj Ly; Writer: Ladj Ly, Giordano Gederlini, Alexis Menenti; Stars: Damien Bonnard, Alexis Manenti, Djibril Zonga)

Full review See: Interview with Djebril Zonga, Alexis Manenti and Damien Bonnard about Les Misérables

Screwdriver (Mafak)

After fifteen years of imprisonment, Ziad struggles to adjust to modern Palestinian life as the hero everyone hails him to be.

(Country: Palestine, US, Qatar; Year: 2018; Director: Bassam Jarbawi; Writer: Bassam Jarbawi; Stars: Ziad Bakri, Areen Omari, Jameel Khoury, Yasmine Qaddumi, Mariam Basha, Amir Khoury, Ziad Bakri, Areen Omari, Jameel Khoury, Yasmine Qaddumi, Mariam Basha, Amir Khoury)

The Truth (La Verite)

Review preview for The Truth

In less sensitive hands than Kore-eda's, it could have come across as cloyingly introverted but instead there is wit and warmth in the observed relationship between the two women.

Richard Mowe · 4 out of 5
A reunion between a French cinema star and her daughter descends into confrontation.

(Country: France, Japan; Year: 2019; Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda; Writer: Hirokazu Kore-eda, Léa Le Dimna; Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke, Clémentine Grenier, Manon Clavel, Jackie Berroyer, Ludivigne Sagnier.)

Full review See: Juliette Binoche on working with Catherine Deneuve on The Truth , Venice Film Festival report - The Truth, Only The Animals, Joker and more

Una Dona Amb Unes Ales Tremendes

Since they met, Rosa and Honori decided to never leave each other’s side. Thirty years later, Rosa is accused of killing him.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2019; Director: Pedro Pérez Rosado; Writer: Lilian Rosado González; Stars: Victoria Salvador, Juli Mira, Eva Lezcano, Paco Alegre)

Zero Impunity

Review preview for Zero Impunity

Western documentary regulars may feel as though they are in familiar territory at the start of the film, which begins by focusing on Syria - but soon the violence considered will come a lot closer to home.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
Hybrid documentary exploring the use of rape and sexual violence in global conflict.

(Country: Luxembourg, France; Year: 2019; Director: Nicolas Blies, Stéphane Hueber-Blies, Denis Lambert)

Full review