Catalan cinema triumphs at Málaga Film Festival

It’s been a historic week for Catalan cinema at the Málaga Film Festival, one of the biggest cinematic gatherings in Spain, as productions from Catalonia have taken home the majority of the awards on offer, including the biggest prizes.   

'Sorda' (‘Deaf’, in English) by debutant filmmaker Eva Libertad has taken home the Biznaga d'Or for Best Spanish Film, as well as the Audience Award. The touching movie story explores the link between the hearing and deaf worlds, and its main actors Miriam Garlo and Álvaro Cervantes both took the Best Male and Best Female performances of the festival too. 

'Los tortuga' was another big winner at the festival, examining grief and the relationship between mothers and daughters, filmed between Barcelona and Jaén. The work of Belén Funes and Marçal Cebrian won the special jury prize and award for Best Director, and was also awarded for Best Screenplay.

Gemma Blasco's film 'La fúria', which delves into the trauma and pain experienced by a young actress after a rape, won the Biznaga de Plata for Best Editing. In addition, Ángela Cervantes shared the best female performance award with Miriam Garlo in ‘Sorda’, while the award for Best Supporting Male performance went to Àlex Monner.

Finally, 'Molt lluny' by Gerard Oms, a Catalan-produced film that deals with minorities, won the special award from the critics' jury. Mario Casas also shared the Best Supporting Actor award with Álvaro Cervantes.

'El ladrón de perros' won the Biznaga d'Or for Best Ibero-American Film, 'Sugar Island' for Best Cinematography, 'Lo que queda de ti' for Best Music, and Maria Elena Pérez won the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in 'Perros'.

'Esmorza amb mi', Iván Morales' debut film, which offers a look at love and heartbreak, took home most of the awards in the festival's Zonazine feature film section, being awarded as the Best Spanish Film, the audience’s choice, and honored for two of its performers.

Libertad: ‘We want this film to spur collective reflection’

The director of 'Sorda', Eva Libertad, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that these are "wonderful awards" to receive for her debut feature work.

She explained that the prizes have “excited” everyone who has worked on the film, and recalled that the work was originally made with the aim of reaching people to spur "a collective reflection."

Libertad said she was particularly happy with the combination of the awards received as they recognize the work of her protagonists. "They have done an incredible job, they have worked for an entire year, he with sign language, and she with building her character," she said. 

She also highlighted the importance of the audience award, which wants to embrace a story. The film "talks about how we relate to the diversity of humanity, but that we are stubborn in squeezing and forcing everyone to fit into the same mold," she said.

Belén Funes told ACN that the team behind ‘Los tortuga’ are "very happy" with the Best Direction and Best Screenplay awards because they vindicate the "importance of the authorship" of the film. "The awards give us the energy to release it in theaters in a more forceful way," she added.

Meanwhile, 'Molt lluny' (‘Very Far’) filmmaker, Gerard Oms, was "very happy and emotional" with the news of the awards. "It doesn't always happen that arthouse films reach the public and I think this is a good opportunity to be able to do so," he told ACN.

The film is based on the director's own experience when he traveled to Holland in 2008 and is at the same time his debut in directing a feature film. Oms recalled that, in addition, it is a 'queer' film, which talks about a person from the collective who cannot accept herself.