Afternoons of Solitude
Afternoons of Solitude (Spanish: Tardes de soledad) is a 2024 Spanish language documentary film directed by Albert Serra about the Peruvian bullfighter Andrés Roca Rey.[1] Though Roca is on screen throughout, the film contains neither commentary nor interviews, and reveals very little about Roca’s personality, motives, or his life outside bullfighting. The film makes no overt comment about bullfighting.[2]
Plot
The film depicts matador Andrés Roca Rey and his entourage throughout fourteen corridas. There are long extended fight sequences filmed very close up, punctuated by torero Roca and his entourage, before or after these sometimes bloody sequences, traveling by car and talking about the performance of Roca. There are also scenes of Roca in his hotel room praying and dressing or undressing from his flamboyant traje de luces (suit of lights) costume before or after these corridas.[3]
Production
The film is a Spanish-French-Portuguese co-production by Andergraun Films alongside Lacima Producciones, Idéale Audiences, and Rosa Filmes.[4] Production was extended by five years, three years for shooting footage and two for editing the material.[5]
The color cinematography, by Artur Tort Pujol, is often very closely focused on Roca and his face, isolating him in a way similar to Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno’s 2006 documentary of Zinedine Zidane called Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait. Extreme closeups sometimes isolate details in the ring: like the bull’s hooves or its face during its death throes or the side of the picador’s horse.
Music
The use of music contains that of Marc Verdaguer and Camille Saint-Saëns and Jorma Kaukonen of the Jefferson Airplane’s "Embryonic Journey" Flamenco-style instrumental song from their 1967 Surrealistic Pillow LP.[6]
Release
The film world premiered in September 2024 at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Shell.
The film was scheduled to debut at the Kursaal on 23 September 2024, in competition for the Golden Shell of the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival.[5] Ahead of the film's premiere, PACMA asked for its removal from the festival slate.[5] It also made it to the slate of the 2024 New York Film Festival.[2] The film will be distributed in Spain by A Contracorriente Films, with a expected theatrical release in Spain on 7 March 2025.[7][8] Films Boutique acquired international sales rights.[4]
Reception
Luis Martínez of El Mundo gave the film 4 stars, declaring it as "a monumental, precious, precise, brutal, grief-stricken, tragic, beautiful and, from any point of view, unique film".[9]
Jonathan Romney of ScreenDaily described the film as "a deeply immersive work and an unashamedly repetitive one".[2]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 |
72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival | Feroz Zinemaldia Award | Won | [10] | |
| Golden Shell for Best Film | Won | [11][12] | |||
See also
References
- ^ [1] Afternoons of Solitude Albert Serra Filmlinc
- ^ a b c Romney, Jonathan (23 September 2024). "'Afternoons Of Solitude': San Sebastian Review". ScreenDaily.
- ^ [2] Review of Afternoons Of Solitude, San Sebastian, by Jonathan Romney, 23 September 2024
- ^ a b Barraclough, Leo (20 September 2024). "Films Boutique Picks Up Albert Serra's 'Afternoons of Solitude' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
- ^ a b c Pérez, Laura (23 September 2024). ""Hay cuadros que reflejan la guerra y no se retiran": Polémica por la película de toros de Albert Serra en el Festival de San Sebastián". Fotogramas.
- ^ [3] Review of Afternoons Of Solitude, San Sebastian, by Jonathan Romney, 23 September 2024
- ^ Belinchón, Gregorio (28 September 2024). "El documental 'Tardes de soledad', la polémica e innovadora aproximación de Albert Serra a los toros, Concha de Oro de San Sebastián". El País.
- ^ "'Tardes de soledad', el reportaje taurino que ganó la Concha de Oro, llegará a los cines en marzo". La Vanguardia. 22 November 2024.
- ^ Martínez, Luis (23 September 2024). "La sangre y la vida: Albert Serra nos hunde en lo profundo del mito táurico en 'Tardes de soledad' (****)". El Mundo.
- ^ "Albert Serra gana el Feroz Zinemaldia por 'Tardes de soledad' y La Dani presentará los Feroz en Pontevedra". Europa Press. 28 September 2024.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (28 September 2024). "San Sebastián Film Festival Award Winners (Updating Live)". Variety.
- ^ Lily Ford (28 September 2024). "Albert Serra's Bullfighting Doc 'Afternoons of Solitude' Wins San Sebastian's Golden Shell". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 September 2024.