Harpooned by Thierry Frémaux and unceremoniously relegated to the Cannes Premiere section, the critically acclaimed Close Your Eyes (which topped the ICS Awards, and was voted #3 on Film Comment contributors Best Undistributed Films of 2023 list) will see the light of day in the U.S. After landing the #2 film on that same list in Lisandro Alonso’s Eureka, The Film Movement folks continue their shopping of Spanish-language cinema with Víctor Erice’s fourth solo feature (and perhaps last outing). This was a comeback film for the The Spirit of the Beehive – his first time behind the camera in three decades. A theatrical release is to be expected in the current or next quarter.
This is about a famous Spanish actor, Julio Arenas, who disappears while filming a movie. Although his body is never found, the police conclude that he has suffered an accident at a cliff by the sea. Many years later, the mystery is brought up once more by a TV program that tries to evoke the actor, offering as a scoop images of the last scenes in which he participated, shot by his close friend, director Miguel Garay. Manolo Solo, Jose Coronado, Ana Torrent, María León, Helena Miquel star.
Update: This will have its theatrical premiere in August at New York’s Film Forum and in Los Angeles before going wide. A release to all leading digital outlets and the home entertainment marketplace will follow.
