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- Clara Sola
Clara Sola
Bold, iconoclastic and resolutely celebrating the power of difference, Clara Sola is a beautiful, atmospheric and imaginative tale of self-discovery that delights in nature’s minutiae and magic.
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Director
Nathalie Álvarez Mesén
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Producer
Nima Yousefi
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Screenwriters
Nathalie Álvarez Mesén, Maria Camila Arias
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With
Wendy Chinchilla Araya, Daniel Castañeda Rincón, Ana Julia Porras Espinoza
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Sweden-Costa Rica 2021. 106min
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UK Distribution
Peccadillo Pictures
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Language
Spanish
With English subtitles
Clara is special. A conduit for nature’s mystical power, she finds meaning and solace in her relationship with animals, insects and plants. Though gifted and unusual, her family and community perceive Clara only as physically afflicted and simple-minded and unconditionally chaste, yet revere her for her ‘Virgin Mary-bestowed’ healing power. But when Clara’s sexuality is stirred by a new arrival to her village, a challenging force is awakened within her. Nathalie Álvarez Mesén’s intuitive direction is daring and defiant, with visionary images and immersive sound design drawing us into Clara’s rapturous, magical world. A fierce indictment of control, which is rapturously realised in Wendy Chinchilla Araya’s sensational physical performance as Clara. Her often wordless movements evoke a caged animal or a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Sarah Lutton
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