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Poniente (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Poniente' is a 2002 Spanish film directed by Chus Gutirrez and co-written by Icar Bollan which stars Cuca Escribano and Jos Coronado alongside Mariola Fuentes, Antonio Dechent and Farid Fatmi.
Plot
The backdrop in which the fiction takes place is based on the 2000 El Ejido race riots. Upon Luca's return to her hometown of "La Isla" in the province of Almera and taking possession of a greenhouse 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 Chus Gutirrez in collaboration with Icar Bollan. The film was produced by Olmo Films and Amboto Audiovisual, with the participation of Antena 3 and Va Digital. Shooting locations included Torrenueva (province of Granada) and Cabo de Gata (province of Almera).
Release
Picked up for the 'Upstream' section lineup of the 59th Venice International Film Festival, 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' assessed 'Poniente' to be Gutirrez' "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' 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".
See also
* List of Spanish films of 2002
References
Bibliography
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Category:2002 drama films
Category:Spanish romantic drama films
Category:Films shot in the province of Almera
Category:Films shot in the province of Granada
Category:Films about immigration to Spain
Category:Films about racism
Category:2000s Spanish-language films
Category:Films set in Andalusia
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