In southern Spain, a wealthy divorcée’s life is upended when a young Senegalese immigrant takes refuge in her tool shed. Though it explores harsh realities, Elena Manrique’s directorial debut blends humour and vulnerability to create a poignant story.
A complete rara avis within her own bourgeois milieu in southern Spain, Carmina’s lifestyle benefits from inherited wealth. Ensconced in her lofty manor, the divorced empty-nester enjoys respect and power but doesn’t much care for anything apart from her fitness routine and frequent soirées with her friends.
Things soon turn upside down with the arrival of young, smart, and sensitive Bilal. The immigrant from Senegal takes shelter in Carmina’s toolshed and quickly becomes a (mostly unwilling) personal companion. Carmina’s charming, capricious ways entrap not only Bilal but also her housekeeper, Lupe. A stern, salt of the earth local woman, Lupe at first distrusts the newcomer, but ends up finding solidarity with Bilal as they try to help each other escape from the manipulative gilded cage Carmina offers.
Elena Manrique’s directorial debut deftly navigates moments of harsh reality, tenderness, vulnerability, humour, and callousness. The perfectly rounded characters, even in their simplicity, let the actors grow into their roles. That is the case especially for Sonia Barba whose tour-de-force performance truly inhabits Carmina, from her clueless irresponsibility to her need for true, human connection. After the sumptuous, chaotic feast she indulges in for her birthday, will the party be truly over for her?
DIANA CADAVID
Content advisory: mature themes
Screenings
Scotiabank 8
Scotiabank 8
Scotiabank 8
Scotiabank 11
Scotiabank 6