Drawing inspiration from her own family history, Catalan filmmaker Carla Simón strikes a blow with this film which won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale last year.
She also recounts the transition between the old and the new world by following the daily life of a family of farmers trying to keep afloat a farm that has supported them for decades, which, in the harsh reality of today is no longer viable.
The Solé have lived on the same land since almost the dawn of time. However, they do not own the land they operate. For as long as this land has existed, the owner family has always ceded it to the Solé at a time when, even before the birth of the current patriarch, a word was enough to seal a contract that does not exist. This lack of a legal document now puts the clan in trouble. The youngest descendant of the owner has indeed decided to take drastic measures to make profitable a land that has not been profitable for some time.
The filmmaker thus evokes the difficulties encountered by small farmers and the serious agricultural crisis which threatens them with their disappearance. That said, the one that was revealed in 2017 thanks to Summer 93 focuses above all on painting a vibrant picture with the children having fun as best they can and the adults around them. Although the latter form an alliance that we guess has always been solid, the new reality means that major dissensions are beginning to arise. Not everyone shares the same vision of the future.
Having recruited non-professional actors who speak an apparently rare Catalan dialect, Carla Simón displays a real concern for authenticity. She also pays homage to family life, as well as to a corner of the country – magnificent – where, with her own clan, she spent all her summer vacations during her childhood. It is very beautiful.
Indoors
Drama
Alcarras
Carla Simon
With Jordi Pujol Dorcet, Anna Otin, Xenia Roset
2 hours