Before Opening Night
(Antes del estreno)
Santiago Giralt | Drama, Fiction, Romance
2011 | 80 minutes | Argentina
Writer-director Santiago Giralt gives us elements of Woody Allen’s nervous comedy and Cassavetes’ melodramatic roller coaster in a storm of egos that takes place on one decisive weekend in the lives of Juana, a popular actress about to star in an important theater production, and her husband Roman, a director suffering from writer’s block.
Synopsis
Writer-director Santiago Giralt gives us elements of Woody Allen’s nervous comedy and Cassavetes’ melodramatic roller coaster in a storm of egos that takes place on one decisive weekend in the lives of Juana, a popular actress about to star in an important theater production, and her husband Roman, a director suffering from writer’s block. The couple’s daughter, Lila, serves as a mirror reflecting her parents’ frustrations and joys. The long takes, atmospheric music, and stellar performances (Erica Rivas won Best Actress at the Mar del Plata Film Festival for her portrayal of Juana), give a poignant, sometimes hilarious portrayal of a family as they attempt to negotiate their egos with their marriage and artistic lives. Directed by one of the most talented filmmakers of his generation, Before Opening Night is an excellent example of the reinvigorated independent cinema coming from Argentina in recent years.
Reviews
"A cinematic triumph" — Diego Batlle, La Nación
"There is a lot of truth in this film" — Miguel Frías, Clarín
"The new film of Giralt is of an infrequent dramatic maturity and uncommon cinematic fluidity. Excellent Nahuel Mutti." — Luciano Monteagudo, Página 12
"Before Opening Night became a cinema master class." — Rafael Garbero, El Fiscón Digital
"But it is precisely through this economy, where Before Opening Night becomes a story with dramatic consistency and stylistic coherence at times hilarious and with a heavy magnetism." — Ezequiel Obregón, Escribiendo Cine
Citation
Main credits
Giralt, Santiago (film director)
Giralt, Santiago (screenwriter)
Roque Pitt, Mili (film producer)
Rivas, Érica (actor)
Mutti, Nahuel (actor)
Serna, Miranda de la (actor)
Other credits
Cinematography, Facundo Pires y Galel Maidana; music, Emisor.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Cinema Studies
Dance + Performing Arts
Family
Sociology
South America
Women
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Mar del Plata Film Festival - Best Actress
Tucumán Cinema - Jury Awards
Global Cinema Festival Zoom Community - Best Actress, Best Feature Length Film
DIRECTOR: Santiago Giralt
NATIONALITY: Argentina
YEAR: 2011
GENRE: Drama, Fiction, Romance
LANGUAGE: Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
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