Direction: Neus Ballús (First Feature)
Production Company: El Kinògraf
In coproduction with: TVC (Catalan Television) and Arte France.
Synopsis_
Raul, a farmer who wants to grow organic food, hires Iurie to help him in the fields. Iurie is a Moldavian wrestler, who earns a living in whatever comes his way. Slowly, their personal stories intertwine with those of three solitary women: Maria, an elderly lady forced to leave her countryside house for a retirement home; Rose, a Philippine nurse who has just arrived in the country; and Maribel, a prostitute who has less and less clients. The destinies of all these characters become entwined as the summer goes on.
The Plague is a film of interwoven stories, that offers a moving portrait of life on the outskirts of Barcelona. The main characters are not actors. They play themselves after four years of working with the director. This long process has permitted Ballús to reveal the uncertainty and rebel spirit that underlies contemporary crisis-hit Spain.
Festivals
- 63º BERLINALE Int. Film Festival, Berlín. Section Fórum, February 2013.
- 15º BAFICI Independent Int. Film Festival, Buenos Aires. Section Panorama, April 2013
- 16º Málaga Spanish Film Festival, Spain. Section Documental, April 2013.
- CPH-PIX Film Festival, Denmark. Section New Talent, April 2013.
- D'A Festival Int. de Cinema de Autor de Barcelona, Spain. Section: Closing Ceremony, May 2013.
- Seattle Int. Film Festival, USA. Section: New Directors, Main Competition, June 2013.
- 6º Mediterranean Int. Film Festival Split, Croatia. Section: Official Competition, July 2013.
- 16º Motovun Film Festival, Croatia. Section: Official Competition, July 2013.
- Goden Boll Film Festival, Turkey. Section: Oficial Competition, September 2013.
- 61º SAN SEBASTIAN International Film Festival, Spain. Section: MADE IN SPAIN, September 2013
- 18º CinEspaña, Spanish Film Festival of Toulouse, France. Section: Official Competition, September 2013.
- 57º BFI London International Film Festival, England. Section: Debate, October 2013.
- 15º Mumbai Int. Film Festival, India. Section: International Competition, October 2013.
- Viennale, Viena International Film Festival, Austria. Section: Official Competition, October 2013.
- 58º SEMINCI, Semana Internacional de Cine de Valladolid, Spain. Section: Spanish Cinema, October 2013.
- Cali Int. Film Festival Colombia. Section Official Competition, November 2013.
- MUCES Festival, Muestra European Cinema of Segovia, Spain. November 2013.
- Festival de Cine Opera Prima Ciudad de Tudela (Navarra) Spain. Section Official Competition and Opening Ceremony.
- ABYCINE, Festival Internacional de Cine de Albacete, Spain. October 2013.
- Muestra Spanish Women Cinema of Zaragoza, Spain. October 2013.
- 37º São Paulo Int. Film Festival Section Official Competition, October 2013.
- 31º Torino Int. Film Festival, Italy. Section Official Competition, December 2013.
- Spanisches Film Festival, Berlín, Germany. December 2013
- Spanish Festival, Tubingen, Germany. December 2013.
- Festival de Cinema European les Arcs, France, December 2013.
- Ambulante, Festival de cine de México, January -May 2014.
Awards
- EFA DISCOVERY AWARDS, European Flm Academy, 2013.
- LUX FILM PRIZES Official Selection 2013, The European Parliament.
- GAUDÍ Awards 2014: "Best Film", "Best Direction", "Best Script" and "Best Editing"
- “Best Direction” - Festival Opera Prima de Tudela 2014, Navarra, Spain
- “Best Film” - Cali International Film Festival 2014, Colombia.
- “Best Script” CinEspaña Toulouse International Film Festival 2013, France.
- "AHMED ATTIA'S" Award, MEDIMED DocMarket 2013, Sitges, Spain
- “Best Film” Award “The Propeller” Motovún Film Festival 2013, Croatia
