PRODUCTION / FUNDING Spain / Belgium
Àlex Lora's The Fissure is in post-production
- Inicia Films and Scope Pictures steer the new film from the director of the Oscar-shortlisted short The Masterpiece, which explores immigration, terrorism and social upheaval
The Fissure is the title of the new film by Àlex Lora, who made his feature-length debut with Unicorns [+see also:
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The cast includes Anna Alarcón (seen in films such as Join Me for Breakfast [+see also:
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interview: Liliana Torres
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interview: Jorge and Alberto Sánchez-C…
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interview: Pere Vilà Barceló
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Through the life journey of its protagonist, the young Pol Khaled, the film examines three moments and circumstances that converged into a perfect storm of conflicting identities, interests and complexities. On one side lies one of the darkest episodes in recent Catalan history: the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils on 17 August 2017. On another, the complex reality of migration — the arrival of newcomers and their integration, assimilation or alienation within local communities. And finally, the social tension that emerged during the Catalan pro‑independence process and the subsequent handling of the referendum held in October of that same year.
In the words of Àlex Lora, "the summer of 2017, a sad convergence of factors erupted, both literally and figuratively, creating a shockwave whose effects are still felt today. For me, in what we might call the moment before the impact, when, everything still seemed normal, I had returned to the small town of Ripoll to spend July and August with my family. My joy was twofold: not only was I home, but my parents were finally going to meet their grandson —my first child— who was only two months old. And so, unfortunately, I had the privilege of witnessing the moments before and after the attacks.”
“I knew some of the boys who were part of the terrorist group that carried out the attacks that fateful August,” the filmmaker adds. “Others were friends of friends, acquaintances of friends, friends of acquaintances. I have had long conversations about what happened with Hamid Hichamy, cousin of Younes Abouyaaqoub, the terrorist who murdered 16 people on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, and Mohamed Hichamy, the leader who led the rest of the group to Cambrils, where they killed one more person.”
The Fissure is produced by Valérie Delpierre for the Spanish company Inicia Films, and Geneviève Lemal for the Belgian company Scope Pictures, with participation from 3Cat, and support from the ICEC and Europa Creativa MEDIA and funding from the ICAA.
(Translated from Spanish)
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