Dragonflies (film)
| Dragonflies | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Spanish | Libélulas |
| Directed by | Luc Knowles |
| Written by | Luc Knowles |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Iván Sánchez |
| Edited by | Rocío Pérez Lavilla |
Production company | Clapham Films |
| Distributed by | Begin Again Films |
Release dates |
|
| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
Dragonflies[1] (Spanish: Libélulas) is a 2022 Spanish drama film directed by Luc Knowles in his feature film debut which stars Milena Smit and Olivia Baglivi.
Plot[edit]
The plot follows the story of two friends, Cata and Alex, who develop escapist plans about fleeing from their homes in an undeterminate location in the outskirts of Madrid, a seemingly idyllic but actually decaying place.[2]
Cast[edit]
- Milena Smit as Cata[3]
- Olivia Baglivi as Alex[3]
- Pol Hermoso[3]
- Marina Esteve[3]
- Javier Collado as Vico[3]
- Gonzalo Herrero as Jota[3]
- Noemí Climent[3]
- Berta Sánchez[3]
- Rakel Brel[4]
- Aramis Baglivi[4]
- Lei Lei Wu[5]
- Gala Ramón[6]
Production[edit]
The film is a Clapham Films production.[7] It was shot in locations of the province of Segovia and the Madrid region.[3] Iván Sánchez worked as cinematographer.[8]
Release[edit]
Included in the 'Zonazine' slate of the 25th Málaga Film Festival, Dragonflies was presented at the Albéniz Theatre on 23 March 2022.[9][10] Distributed by Begin Again Films,[7] it was theatrically released in Spain on 16 September 2022.
Reception[edit]
Beatriz Martínez of Fotogramas rated the film 4 out of 5 stars highlighting the chemistry between Smit and Baglivi as the best thing about the film.[11]
Manuel J. Lombardo of Diario de Sevilla rated the film 2 out of 5 stars, assessing that Knowles' debut feature "smells too much like a photocopy of numerous [common] places in American indie cinema", otherwise incorporating themes of lumpen sorority and escapist desires, a forced criminal-police subplot and a flamenco-electro soundtrack that underpin a "new and artificial" product.[12]
Paula Arantzazu Ruiz of Cinemanía rated it 3 out 5 stars observing that "were it not for the interpretative tête-à-tête of its actresses, [Knowles'] proposal would not advance much further than the author's previous musical video for the song 'Wondering'".[13]
Josu Eguren of El Correo rated the film 1 out of 3 stars, considering that below "the laconic and nihilistic surface of the dialogues" held by the protagonists, the film is based on "such a fragile aesthetic pose" that it threatens to fall apart upon Knowles' attempt to introduce some drops of thriller in the mix.[14]
Luis Martínez of El Mundo rated Dragonflies 3 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be "an incomplete, uneven and slightly pretentious film", yet also "perfectly alive", otherwise highlighting the helmer's ability "to create a strange and slightly impostured universe, as much his own as delicate".[15]
Accolades[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 25th Málaga Film Festival | Best Actress ('Zonazine' section) | Milena Smit & Olivia Baglivi | Won | [16] |
| Audience Award ('Zonazine' section) | Won | ||||
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Nicola, Gabriele; Cabeza, Elisabet; Mitchell, Wendy; Macna, Geoffrey (17 May 2022). "Cannes 2022: the buzz titles from Italy, Spain and the Nordics". ScreenDaily.
- ^ "Llega al cine "Libélulas", un retrato de una huida en busca de la libertad". La Vanguardia. 15 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Úbeda-Portugués, Alberto (14 September 2022). "Los estrenos del 16 de septiembre. 'Libélulas'. Plan de huida". Aisge.
- ^ a b "Ibicine proyecta 'Libélulas' con Olivia Baglivi y Milena Smit, triunfadoras en el Festival de Málaga". Noudiari. 8 April 2022.
- ^ "Libélulas". premiosgoya.com. Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ "25 Festival de Málaga. Guía de programación". Festival de Málaga. p. 18.
- ^ a b Sánchez Segura, Marco (13 September 2022). "'Libélulas' – estreno en cines 16 de septiembre". Audiovisual451.
- ^ Silvestre, Juan (17 February 2022). "'Libélulas': Cartel, en primicia, de la nueva película de MIlena Smit". Fotogramas.
- ^ San Martín, Claudia (24 March 2022). "Luc Knowles, sobre 'Libélulas': «Me dijeron: 'Tú escribe y ya veremos', y después todo se cumplió»". Diario Sur – via Grupo Vocento.
- ^ "Smit y Baglivi, las 'libélulas' de Luc Knowles". La Opinión de Málaga. Prensa Ibérica. 24 March 2022.
- ^ Martínez, Beatriz (16 September 2022). "Crítica de 'Libélulas', la joya indie de Milena Smit y Olivia Baglivi". Fotogramas.
- ^ Lombardo, Manuel J. (17 September 2022). "Tics de la mala vida suburbial". Diario de Sevilla. Grupo Joly.
- ^ Ruiz, Paula Arantzazu (13 September 2022). "Crítica de 'Libélulas'". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
- ^ Eguren, Josu (20 September 2022). "Crítica de 'Libélulas' (2022): El no futuro". El Correo. Grupo Vocento.
- ^ Martínez, Luis (15 September 2022). "Libélulas: elogio de la fragilidad". Metrópoli. Unidad Editorial – via El Mundo.
- ^ "Palmarés del 25 Festival de Málaga Cine en Español". Diario Sur. Grupo Vocento. 26 March 2022.
External links[edit]
- Dragonflies at IMDb
