''Alegría'' is a 2021 Spanish film directed by Violeta Salama. The cast, led by

Cecilia Suárez María Cecilia Suárez de Garay, known professionally as Cecilia Suárez (Mexican ; born November 22, 1971), is a Mexican actress and a prominent activist working with the United Nations and European Union campaigning against femicide and viole ...

, also features Laia Manzanares, Sarah Perles, Mara Guil and

Leonardo Sbaraglia Leonardo Máximo Sbaraglia (; born 30 June 1970) is an Argentine actor, with extensive credits in both Argentina and Spain. He has also worked in Mexico, and was cast in his first English-language role in '' Red Lights''. Biography Sbaraglia was ...

Premise

The film—presented as a "feelgood movie"— is set in

Melilla Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was par ...

, exploring the blend of cultures in the city, including identity, religious and family issues. After some time installed in the city, Alegría rediscovers her Jewish roots in the wake of the wedding of her niece Yael.

Cast

Production

''Alegría'' was produced by La Claqueta and Powehi Films alongside La Cruda Realidad, Alegría La Película AIE and 9AM Media Lab, with the participation of

RTVE The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española, S.A. (; ), known as Radiotelevisión Española or RTVE, is the state-owned public corporation that assumed in 2007 the indirect management of the Spanish public radio and television service know ...

and support from the ICAA, the department of Culture of the

Junta de Andalucía The Regional Government of Andalusia ( es, Junta de Andalucía) is the government of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. It consists of the Parliament, the President of the Regional Government and the Government Council. The 2011 budget was 31. ...

, and the department of Culture and Equality of the autonomous city of Melilla. The film had a €2.4 million budget. Filming began in February 2021 and wrapped in March 2021. Besides

, shooting locations included

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

and other places in

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...

. The film was written by the director Violeta Salama alongside Isa Sánchez.

Pau Esteve Birba Pau Esteve Birba (born 1981) is a Spanish cinematographer. Biography Pau Esteve Birba was born in Barcelona in 1981. He graduated in photography from the ESCAC. Following his graduation he decided to move to Mexico in 2009. He was recalled to ...

took over the cinematography.

Release

The film premiered at the 36th

Guadalajara International Film Festival The Guadalajara International Film Festival ( es, Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara) is a week-long film festival held each March in the Mexican city of Guadalajara since 1986. The presence in Guadalajara of delegates from other impo ...

(FCIG) in October 2021, and will also screen at the 18th

Seville European Film Festival The Seville European Film Festival (SEFF; es, Festival de Cine Europeo de Sevilla, links=no) is an annual film festival dedicated to European cinema held in November in Seville, Spain, since 2004. The festival is an initiative of the Instituto ...

(SEFF) in November 2021. Distributed by Caramel Films, the film is set for a 10 December 2021 theatrical release in Spain.

Awards and nominations

, - , align = "center" rowspan = "3" , 2021 , , rowspan = "3" , 34th ASECAN Awards , , colspan = "2" , Best Film , , , , rowspan = "3" , , - , Best Screenplay , , Violeta Salama, Isa Sánchez , , , - , Best Actress , , Mara Guil , , , - , align = "center" rowspan = "11" , 2022 , , rowspan = "11" , 1st Carmen Awards , , Best Fiction Feature Film , , La Claqueta PC , , , , rowspan = "11" , , - , Best Screenplay , , Isa Sánchez, Violeta Salama , , , - , Best Production Supervision , , Manolo Limón , , , - , Best New Director , , Violeta Salama , , , - , Best Special Effects , , Amparo Martínez , , , - , Best Makeup and Hairstyles , , Félix Terrero, Yolanda Piña , , , - , Best Art Direction , , Pepe Domínguez , , , - , Best Sound , , Jorge Marín, Sara Marín , , , - , Best Editing , , José M. G. Moyano , , , - , Best Supporting Actress , , Mara Guil , , , - , Best Cinematography , , Pau Esteve , ,

References

External links

''Alegría''
at ICAA's ''Catálogo de Cinespañol'' * {{authority control 2021 films 2020s Spanish-language films Films about Jews and Judaism Films set in Melilla Films shot in Spain La Claqueta PC films 2020s Spanish films Films shot in Melilla