02/06/2021 - The pandemic stopped the original shoot for the Summer 1993 director’s second feature from going ahead one year ago, but it finally kicked off on 1 June

The perfect state of ripeness of a certain type of fruit has completely governed the progress of a film production – in this case, that of Alcarràs [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
interview: Carla Simón
interview: Giovanni Pompili
film profile], the eagerly awaited second effort by Catalonian director Carla Simón, who scooped dozens of prizes with her sensitive feature debut, Summer 1993 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
film profile]. The shoot had been scheduled to start exactly one year ago, but the health crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic delayed filming by months. For the shoot, it was vital that the peaches which are so important in the storyline would be hanging from the trees, ready to be picked during the summer. Just like in Dream of Light, the iconic documentary by Víctor Erice, nature thus pulls the strings of this film, which is finally becoming a reality on the originally scheduled dates, but with a delay of 12 months.

The shoot will continue until the end of July in various rural locations within the province of Lleida. In addition, part of the crew from Summer 1993 is coming back to work on Alcarràs: Mónica Bernuy is art director, Eva Valiño is serving as head of the sound department, and Anna Aguilà is in charge of the wardrobe. The director of photography is Daniela Cajías, who has just picked up a Goya Award for his work on Schoolgirls [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pilar Palomero
film profile], the feature debut by Pilar Palomero. The screenplay is written by Simón herself and Arnau Vilaró. Its brief synopsis states: “After 80 years cultivating the same soil, the Solé family come together for one final harvest together.”

Therefore, it’s once again the home – and the various ups and downs that happen within it – that is at the epicentre of a feature, this time bearing the name of a Catalonian municipality. At the project stage, it passed through various festivals and workshops, picking up prizes as it went, standing out among which are the CNC Award for Best Project, handed out at at the TorinoFilmLab (2018), the Eurimages Co-production Development Award, which it obtained at the 2019 Berlin Co-Production Market (read the interview), and the Special Mention at the 2019 pitch at the Cinéfondation Residence in Cannes.

The cast of the film is made up of non-professional actors from the Lleida area and farm workers, who were chosen following a long casting process that lasted over a year, given that it had to be put on hold and happen all over again owing to the pandemic. In the words of the director: “This is a story about belonging to the soil, to a place, but it’s also a drama about the perpetual clashes between the generations, moving on from old traditions and the importance of the family unit in times of crisis."

Alcarràs is a production by Spanish outfits Avalon PC and Vilaut Films, in co-production with Kino Produzioni (Italy). It will be distributed in Spain by Avalon DA, and its international sales will be entrusted to France’s MK2. In addition, it has secured support from the ICAA (see the article), ICEC, MEDIA, Eurimages, MiBACT and the Lleida provincial government. Furthermore, TVE, Movistar Plus+ and TV3 are all involved.

(Translated from Spanish)