World premiere of Catalan film-maker Neus Ballús latest movie at Berlinale

The Catalan film-maker Neus Ballús latest movie will make its world premiere at Berlin International Film Festival 2019. The director of the award-winning 'The Plague' will be releasing this Sunday her newly featured film 'Staff only' in the Panorama section of the Berlinale.

Filmed in Senegal, Ballús depicts the complex relationships between tourists and locals whose lives are dependent on them in this movie that addresses topics such as package tours, sex tourism, and cultural appropriation.

Back to Berlinale

In an interview with the Catalan News Agency, Ballús said that Berlinale was “the best place” to present her new movie. Ballús became internationally known with her debut feature ‘The Plague’ which premiered at the Berlinale and received more than 20 awards at festivals around the world, in addition to being nominated as European Discovery at the Film Academy Awards European (EFA).

"Being back with ‘Staff only’ is exciting and makes me feel comfortable. I cannot imagine a better place to start this new path”, said.

A successful debut

Born in Mollet del Vallès in 1980, Neus Ballús studied audiovisual communication and documentary filmmaking at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. After directing several short films, she made her feature-length debut in 2013 with La plaga (The Plague). The film screened at the Berlinale Forum and won four Gaudí Awards.