Alcarràs

For as long as they can remember, the Solé family has spent every summer picking the peaches in their orchard in Alcarràs, a small village in Spain’s Catalonia region. But this year’s crop may well be their last, as they face eviction. The new plans for the land, which include cutting down the peach trees and installing solar panels, cause a rift in this large, tight-knit family. For the first time, they face an uncertain future and risk losing more than their orchard.
After her beautiful debut Summer 1993, Carla Simón draws again on her experience of rural life in the Catalan countryside, where human activity is part of a cycle governed by seasons in a capricious climate. Family dynamics may be muddied by economic concerns, but there are also differences in how each individual relates to time. The younger ones enjoy a seemingly everlasting present while father bullishly ignores the imminent future, and grandfather is relying on a long-forgotten promise to prove ownership of their house ... This variety is well-served by the natural performances of the ensemble cast and ensures that politically relevant themes are presented to us in a subtle manner. The family is only able to find common ground in tradition, which leaves us with a genuine discomfort about what lies ahead.
by Carla Simón
with Jordi Pujol Dolcet, Anna Otin, Xènia Roset, Albert Bosch, Ainet Jounou, Josep Abad, Montse Oró, Carles Cabós, Berta Pipó
Spain / Italy 2022 Catalan 120’

With

  • Jordi Pujol Dolcet (Qumet)
  • Anna Otin (Dolors)
  • Xènia Roset (Mariona)
  • Albert Bosch (Roger)
  • Ainet Jounou (Iris)
  • Josep Abad (Rogelio)
  • Montse Oró (Nati)
  • Carles Cabós (Cisco)
  • Berta Pipó (Glòria)

Crew

Director Carla Simón
Screenplay Arnau Vilaró, Carla Simón
Cinematography Daniela Cajías
Editing Ana Pfaff
Music Andrea Koch
Sound Design Thomas Giorgi
Sound Eva Valiño
Production Design Mónica Bernuy
Costumes Anna Aguilà
Make-Up Giovanna Turco
Assistant Director Daniela Forn
Casting Mireia Juárez
Production Manager Elisa Sirvent
Producers María Zamora, Stefan Schmitz, Tono Folguera, Sergi Moreno
Executive Producer María Zamora
Co-Producer Giovanni Pompili
Co-Production Kino Produzioni Rom

Produced by

Elastica Films

Avalon Productora Cinematográfica

Vilaüt Film

Carla Simón

The screenwriter and director was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1986 and grew up in a small Catalan village. She studied audiovisual communication in Barcelona and California and then attended the London Film School. In 2015, she participated in Berlinale Talents where the screenplay for her debut feature film Summer 1993 was selected for the Berlinale Script Station. The completed film screened at the 2017 Berlinale where it won the Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury and the GWFF Best First Feature Award. The film went on to win three Goya Awards and numerous other international prizes.

Filmography

2009 Women; experimental film 2012 Born Positive; short documentary 2013 Lipstick; short film 2014 Las pequeñas cosas; short film 2016 Llacunes; experimental film 2017 Estiu 1993 (Summer 1993) 2019 If Then Else; short film 2022 Alcarràs

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2022