PRODUCTION / FUNDING Spain / Argentina
Juan Miguel del Castillo’s Unfinished Affairs starts filming
- The Spaniard is shooting his sophomore film, a thriller based on the novel of the same name written by Benito Olmo, toplined by Fred Adenis and Natalia de Molina
In mid-May, Juan Miguel del Castillo kicked off the shoot for Unfinished Affairs [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juan Miguel del Castillo
film profile]. The crime film is based on La maniobra de la tortuga, the book written by Cádiz-born author Benito Olmo, which is one of the instalments in the Inspector Bianquetti saga. Filming is taking place in Cádiz, Jerez, Seville and San Fernando, and its lead actors are Spanish-based French thesp Fred Adenis (glimpsed in supporting roles in titles such as Sunday’s Illness [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Ramón Salazar
film profile] and Black Beach [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Andalusian actress Natalia de Molina (whose latest release was Schoolgirls [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pilar Palomero
film profile]). They are flanked by Ignacio Mateos, Mona Martínez, Carlos Manuel Díaz and Gerardo de Pablos.
With a screenplay adapted by Juan Miguel del Castillo himself together with José Rodríguez (Adiós [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paco Cabezas
film profile]), the movie tells of how Inspector Manuel Bianquetti (Adenis) is forced into agreeing to be transferred to the police headquarters in Cádiz. The initial peace and quiet will be shattered by the discovery of the body of a young woman, which will remind him of a past that continually torments him. Disregarding the opposition of his superiors, he will undertake a lone crusade to catch the culprit, based on evidence that could easily be the fruit of his fertile imagination. His neighbour (de Molina), a fragile nurse hounded by her ex, is the only person who will support him and will stay on his side, come what may.
Juan Miguel del Castillo is working with Natalia de Molina again after they previously teamed up on Food and Shelter [+see also:
trailer
interview: Juan Miguel del Castillo
film profile], a social drama that garnered more than 30 awards, in particular the 2016 Goya for Best Actress as well as two further nominations: for Best New Director and Best Original Song. It also picked up the Silver Biznaga for Best Actress (for de Molina) and the Asecan Feature Debut Award from the 18th Málaga Spanish Film Festival in 2015, in addition to Best Screenplay and Best New Director at the Asecan Awards for Andalusian Film in 2016.
Del Castillo studied film direction at the Catalonian Centre for Film Studies (class of 2000) before diving into the editing, screenwriting and direction of his feature debut. He has also served as the screenwriter and director of various short films, scooping more than 40 prizes, while at the same time working as a director of TV movies and TV series, such as El niño que pintaba el mar and La dama del cuadro.
Unfinished Affairs is being produced by Spanish outfits Áralan Films, A Contracorriente Films and La maniobra de la tortuga, AIE, in conjunction with Argentina’s Aleph Media. It boasts the involvement of RTVE, Canal Sur and Movistar Plus+; it has received grants from the ICAA and AAIICC – Andalusian Agency of Cultural Institutions, with funding from Triodos Bank and Crea SGR, and sponsorship from the Cádiz provincial government. It will be distributed in Spain by A Contracorriente Films, while its international sales will be overseen by Latido Films.
(Translated from Spanish)
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