Sunday, March 24 / 3:30 pm / Ottawa Art Gallery
Program: Scissors, Close Your Eyes
This program is presented in partnership with the Embassy of Spain.
Feature presentation \
Close Your Eyes
Cerrar los ojos
2023 / 169 minutes / Spain
Director: Víctor Erice
Writers: Víctor Erice, Michel Gaztambide
Language: Spanish
Subtitles: English
mystery \ moviemaking \ time
In his long-anticipated return to filmmaking after a 31-year absence, renowned Spanish master filmmaker Víctor Erice (The Spirit of the Beehive, El Sur, Dream of Light) delivers a brilliant, exquisitely unhurried examination of love, loss, memory, and the power of cinema. This measured, meditative drama revolves around a retired filmmaker named Miguel Garay, whose second feature film, ‘The Farewell Gaze,’ was never completed due to the sudden unexplained disappearance of the lead actor, Julio Arenas, then one of Spain’s biggest screen stars. Dispirited by that failed production, Miguel retired years ago from the film business and now lives in a quiet coastal town. One day he is contacted by TV producers from an ‘unsolved mysteries’ program looking into Julio’s disappearance. Miguel agrees to participate and is soon on the road searching for his former movie star friend, involving Julio’s daughter Ana, herself wounded by and curious about his disappearance all those years ago. Part road movie, part detective story, part epistemological puzzle, Close Your Eyes is a welcome return of one of the world’s greatest filmmakers.
- Tom McSorley
PRESS
Close Your Eyes Review - Vīctor Erice returns with enigmatic tale of disappeared actor
AWARDS
Cinema Writers Circle Awards, 2024, CEC Award, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay
Fotogramas de Plata, 2024, Best Spanish Film
Online Film Critics Society Awards, 2024, Best Non-U.S. Release
Lisbon and Estoril Film Festival, 2023, Best Film Award
ASECAN, 2023, Best Male Performance
Premios Carmen, 2024, Best Film
Short film \
Scissors
Les ciseaux
2022 / 3 minutes / Innu, Quebec
Director: Katia Kurtness
Language: French
Over the sound of scissors slicing through cardboard, Annette recounts the first time she cut out animal silhouettes while passing her craft onto her daughter, Katia. A short documentary from the Wapikoni Mobile project.
