''Poniente'' is a 2002 Spanish film directed by

Chus Gutiérrez María Jesús "Chus" Gutiérrez (born 1962) is a Spanish director, writer, and actress. Gutiérrez has experiences of moving back and forth between Spain and the United States, which influenced her filmmaking, as her films are known for discussing ...

and co-written by

Icíar Bollaín Icíar Bollaín Pérez-Mínguez (born 12 June 1967) is a Spanish filmmaker and actress. Early life and education Icíar Bollaín Pérez-Mínguez was born in Madrid on 12 June 1967. She was one of twin girls to a father who was an aeronautical ...

which stars Cuca Escribano and

José Coronado José María Coronado García (born 14 August 1957) is a Spanish film and television actor and former model. His performances playing (often corrupt and/or morally dubious) law enforcement officer roles have brought him some of the greatest succ ...

alongside

Mariola Fuentes Mariola Fuentes (born 1970, Marbella) is a Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Sp ...

Antonio Dechent Antonio Dechent (born 1960) is a Spanish actor. Born in 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 ...

and Farid Fatmi.

Plot

The backdrop in which the fiction takes place is based on the 2000 El Ejido race riots. Upon Lucía's return to her hometown of "La Isla" in the

province of Almería Almería (, also , ) is a province of the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Granada, Murcia, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is the homonymous city of Almería. Almería has an area of . With 701, ...

and taking possession of a

greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.These ...

inherited from her deceased father, she is witness to a concerning situation at the intensive farming complex in the province, featuring abuse inflicted on the North-African undocumented immigrant labourers, who live under deplorable conditions. This situation pits her against her cousin Miguel while bonds her closer to Curro (a migrant returned from Switzerland who presses for better conditions for the workers) and Perla, a prostitute.

Cast

Production

The screenplay was penned by

in collaboration with

. The film was produced by Olmo Films and Amboto Audiovisual, with the participation of Antena 3 and Vía Digital. Shooting locations included Torrenueva (province of Granada) and

Cabo de Gata Cabo de Gata is a cape located in Níjar, Almería in the south of Spain, one of the biggest capes. It is the driest place in the Iberian Peninsula (150-170 mm average precipitation, being the lowest 52 mm in 1981). However, the area th ...

(province of Almería).

Release

Picked up for the 'Upstream' () section lineup of the

59th Venice International Film Festival The 59th annual Venice International Film Festival was held between 29 August to 8 September 2002. The Golden Lion was awarded to The Magdalene Sisters directed by Peter Mullan. Jury The following people comprised the 2002 jury: * Li Gong (Chi ...

, the film was presented on 1 September 2002 at the aforementioned festival. It also screened at the 27th Toronto International Film Festival later in September. Distributed by Araba Films, the film was theatrically released in Spain on 13 September 2002.

Reception

Jonathan Holland of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' assessed ''Poniente'' to be Gutiérrez' "strongest film to date", a "socially committed, dexterously plotted drama" and "an all-too-rare Spanish take on the issue of racism in Europe". Mirito Torreiro of ''

Fotogramas ''Fotogramas'' is Spanish digital and print film magazine which has been in circulation since 1946. It is one of the early film magazines in Spain. History Founded in Barcelona, it was first published on 15 November 1946 by Antonio Nadal-Rodó a ...

'' scored 3 out of 5 stars, writing that the film takes a firm stance in favour of the dispossessed, while resenting the film's excessive "schematism".

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Cite journal, title=United Spains? North African Immigration and the Question of Spanish Identity in ''Poniente'', first=Raquel, last=Vega-Durán, journal=Afro-Hispanic Review, year=2013, volume=32, issue=1, pages=159–180, jstor=23617263 2002 drama films 2002 films Spanish romantic drama films Films shot in the province of Almería Films shot in the province of Granada Films about immigration to Spain Films about racism in Spain 2000s Spanish-language films Films set in Andalusia 2000s Spanish films