Though Queens (Reinas) is Switzerland’s entry for the International Feature Oscar this 12 months, the film is definitely set in Peru and instructed in Spanish. Director and co-writer Klaudia Reynicke, who left her native Peru on the age of 10, says the movie helped her reconnect together with her roots after spending most of her life in Europe and the U.S.
“I didn’t suppose it in a acutely aware approach, however I had a necessity of going again to Peru and taking pictures one thing in Spanish,” she stated throughout a panel at Deadline’s Contenders Movie: Worldwide awards-season showcase. “Now that I’ve accomplished it,” Reynicke added, “I can see that it was truly essential this reconnection, one thing has modified. I assume cinema permits this, proper?”
Whereas Queens just isn’t Reynicke’s personal private story, “it’s positively very, very linked to it,” she stated.
The touching household drama — which additionally has comedic components — is ready in 1992 Peru because the nation undergoes social and political upheaval. Single mom Elena is planning to go away the nation together with her daughters Lucía and Aurora, however wants their predominantly absent father, Carlos, to signal papers to permit the daughters to cross a border. The ladies, whom the well-intentioned however hapless Carlos calls “queens,” are at first skeptical of him. However they ultimately heat to their father as the upcoming farewell from residence and household attracts ever nearer.
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That is Reynicke’s third characteristic, and premiered at Sundance earlier than happening to win the Grand Jury Prize for Greatest Function within the Era Kplus strand of Berlin. In Locarno, it gained the Viewers Award and took Greatest Screenplay on the Competition de Lima in Peru.
Gonzalo Molina, who performs Carlos, describes the character as “a damaged man” who thinks the one strategy to be forgiven “by these two pretty children is asking them queens … Carlos thinks that they’re higher in some ways than him.” He additionally “doesn’t know the way to restore the harm, however he tries to make issues a bit of higher.”
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Luana Vega, who performs Aurora, says she needed to “seek for these emotions” when enjoying “the resentment Aurora has … Aurora has lived extra of this not-present father and Lucía hasn’t, so I believe that’s why she tries to benefit from him.”
And but, the household does come collectively earlier than parting methods, with Reynicke framing them as a unit. “Whenever you really feel that this group of individuals is turning into a household lastly, and the digital camera embraces them, that’s when you already know there’s going to be an enormous separation,” she stated. “However to me it’s not likely a foul ending, it’s truly life. The household has gained in love and has gained in solidity.”
Test again Monday for the panel video.
