Rita is a 2024 Spanish drama film written and directed by Paz Vega (in her directorial debut feature) which stars Sofía Allepuz as the title character alongside Alejandro Escamilla, Paz Vega, and Roberto Álamo.
| Rita | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Paz Vega |
| Written by | Paz Vega |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Eva Díaz Iglesias |
| Edited by | Ana Álvarez-Ossorio |
| Music by | Pablo Cervantes |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Filmax |
Release dates |
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| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
Plot
editSet in 1984 Seville, against the backdrop of the craze about the UEFA Euro 1984, with the Spain's team making inroads in the knockout stage, the plot follows siblings Rita and Lolo (respectively 7- and 5-year-old), as the former dreams about going to the beach.[1]
Cast
edit- Sofía Allepuz as Rita[2]
- Alejandro Escamilla as Lolo[2]
- Paz Vega as Mari[2]
- Roberto Álamo as José Manuel[2]
- Daniel Navarro as Nito[2]
- Paz de Alarcón as Chari[2]
- Amada Santos as Tita Merche[2]
- Margarita Asquerino as abuela Carmen[2]
Production
editThe film was produced by Áralan Films and Rita la Película AIE, with the association of Oda Films and Arte Sonora Estudios, the participation of Canal Sur, RTVE, and Movistar Plus+, and the funding from ICAA, AAIICC, Triodos Bank, and Crea SGR,[3] boasting a budget of around €2 million.[4] It was fully shot in Andalusia, with Seville as the prime shooting location.[5]
Release
editRita had its world premiere at the Piazza Grande during the 77th Locarno Film Festival on 16 August 2024.[6] It also made it to the official selection slate of the 69th Valladolid International Film Festival (for its Spanish premiere) and to the New Directors Competition slate of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival (for its North-American premiere).[7][8] Distributed by Filmax, it was released theatrically in Spain on 25 October 2024.[3][9]
Reception
editMarko Stojiljković of Cineuropa wrote that Vega "demonstrates a knack for storytelling, both as a writer and as a director. Her script is cleverly written and masterfully controlled by her directing, with a good sense of visual narration".[10]
Jonathan Holland of ScreenDaily deemed Rita to be a "subtle and potent" directorial debut.[11]
Enid Román Almansa of Cinemanía rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, declaring it not only a love letter to the past, but also a return to innocence.[12]
Juan Pando of Fotogramas rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, considering it a "promising" directorial debut.[13]
Marta Medina of El Confidencial rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, writing that Vega "has shown that she has the gaze, the taste and the pulse to pull off not just a film, but a good film".[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ D'Ocon, Manuel (10 July 2024). "Paz Vega da el salto a la dirección: Así es 'Rita', su ópera prima". Fotogramas.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Rita". Filmax. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Paz Vega se estrena como directora y guionista con 'Rita', una película ambientada en la Sevilla de los años 80". ABC. 10 July 2024.
- ^ Hristova, Mariana (13 June 2023). "Paz Vega, en pleno rodaje de su ópera prima Rita". Cineuropa.
- ^ Sánchez Sequera, Marco (7 July 2023). "Finaliza el rodaje de 'Rita', la ópera prima de Paz Vega". Audiovisual451.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (16 August 2024). "Paz Vega on Directorial Debut 'Rita' as a "Love Letter to My Childhood" With Its Young Stars as Its "Soul"". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Paz Vega, Carlos Marques-Marcet y Mar Coll entre los directores del extraordinario despliegue de títulos españoles para la 69 edición de Seminci". El Mundo. 26 August 2024.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (20 September 2024). "'All We Imagine As Light', 'The End', 'Harvest' among Chicago International Film Festival line-up (exclusive)". ScreenDaily.
- ^ Gordillo, Marta (26 October 2024). "Paz Vega, tras haber cumplido su sueño: 'Ahora mismo es mi mayor ilusión'". ¡Hola!.
- ^ Stojiljković, Marko (19 August 2024). "Review: Rita". Cineuropa.
- ^ Holland, Jonathan (23 October 2024). "'Rita': Valladolid Review". ScreenDaily.
- ^ Román Almansa, Enid (24 October 2024). "Crítica de 'Rita': Paz Vega dirige un viaje a la memoria, con todo lo que eso implica". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
- ^ Pando, Juan (25 October 2024). "Crítica de 'Rita', el paso adelante de Paz Vega". Fotogramas.
- ^ Medina, Marta (25 October 2024). "'Rita': el debut en la dirección de Paz Vega que tapará muchas bocas". El Confidencial.