The first of the stories screened at the Apollo Theatre was ‘Space Frankie’, by producer and screenwriter Álex Cuellar, which won the Production project in the 2019 edition.
The producer of ‘Cinco estrellas’, one of the shorts participating in this third gala of ‘Almería en Corto’, César Martínez, was clear. “Almería is an important date for the final voting for the Goya Awards, which will take place this week”. And that is the aim of FICAL, an unmissable event for film professionals, championed by the Almería Provincial Council. To showcase the work of directors and producers to the public.
It is never too late to achieve a masterpiece, effort is the basis of all success and desire opens many doors. Like the one that the winner of the FICAL Production Project 2019 award, Álex Cuéllar, has before him. A particular look at the events of Palomares, told in a different way, different from what we have always encountered, was the way to open this session held at the Apolo Theatre and presented by journalist Álvaro Hernández. Last year, due to the health crisis, he was unable to present it and now, nervous and expectant, he has had the opportunity to present the result of a hard work of documentation and staging.
The six short films that took part on this occasion raised awareness, with a lively theme that is present daily in the news. All told with depth, care and a magnificent script as a guiding thread. “We have decided to focus on the person, on how a human being can pay for seeing the suffering of others,” explained Martínez.
This year, the Berlanga influence stands out, present in many of the works presented and which is the focus of a large part of the festival’s programme. Luis García Berlanga, the father of the so-called black comedy in Spain also has a lot to say in ‘Almería en corto III’. In front of an enthusiastic audience, who could vote for their favourite short film by mobile phone, all kinds of themes could be seen on the big screen of the Apolo.
The film festival does not end here, and the films appearing in tomorrow’s programme are already warming up. Cuando llegue la carta’, ‘El silencio del río’, ‘Feeling Through’ and ‘La hija y la colcha’ are the new screenings that can be enjoyed, once again, in the incomparable setting of the Apolo theatre from 20.30 in the evening.
Six short films of great quality
The works presented bordered on cinematographic excellence. Stories that, in a short period of time, hooked and kept all the spectators on the edge of their seats, who were devoted to this new gala, the result of the work of the Diputación to maintain the intergenerational tradition that endorses Almería as a land of cinema.
The first of the short films was ‘Five stars’ by Roberto Jiménez, which tells the story of Carlos and Toñi, two tenants of a small flat in a marginal area of a city. Looking for a way to pay the rent, they go out looking for scrap metal. But their life takes a radical turn when they meet Henrik and Jens, two Danes eager for adventure who want to spend a day with a low-income family. Its producer, César Martínez, did not want to miss the premiere at FICAL.
Céu de agosto’ puts us in the shoes of a nurse who is expecting a baby and feels she is in trouble. Looking for answers, she approaches an evangelical church, where she meets Nicole, who will mark her life. On the other hand, this story will also tie in with the environmental situation in the Amazon. It is directed by Jasmin Tenucci.
He An’ by Weijia Ma talks about the complicated situation of the one-child policy in Asian countries. This leads to the desperation of some families, who drown their daughters in the river. And it is precisely this, the water, that manages to establish an important link between the two girls Lu and Wei.
Impossible to say goodbye to you’ by Yolanda Centeno, tells the story of the couple Paula and Raúl and of little Dani. The boy is not Paula’s son, and she must prove to him that she can achieve the title of ‘mother’. It is a story with a strong emotional component.
In ‘Departures’, Michael Fetter Nathansky tells us an intriguing plot starring Giralda, an undertaker whose mission is to accompany the deceased to the afterlife. In this short film, flamenco music, the north-south fusion and the feeling of loneliness when someone dies play an essential role.
Finally, another of the films presented, ‘Teslimat’, by Dogus Ozokutan, focuses on the drama of the refugees by presenting Yusuf, a truck driver who wants to save his daughter’s life by transporting people out of the country. He has many questions, and the one that worries him most is what will happen to the children who board his refrigerated truck. He doubts very much that they will survive, and it is on this dichotomy that the short film revolves.
