Carmen (2021 film)

Carmen is a 2021 drama film written and directed by Valerie Buhagiar.[1] Inspired in part by the real experiences of Buhagiar's own aunt Rita, the film stars Natascha McElhone as Carmen, a Maltese spinster who has spent her adult life serving as a caretaker for her brother, who is a Roman Catholic priest, but who finds herself feeling free to explore her own desires and goals in life as she nears age 50.[1] The cast also includes Steven Love, Michaela Farrugia, Peter Galea, Mikhail Basmadjian, Henry Zammit Cordina, and Richard Clarkin.

Carmen
Theatrical release poster
Directed byValerie Buhagiar
Written byValerie Buhagiar
Produced by
  • Pierre Ellul
  • Coral Aiken
  • Anika Psaila Savona
Starring
  • Natascha McElhone
  • Steven Love
  • Michela Farrugia
  • Peter Galea
  • Pauline Fenech
  • AndrĂ© Agius
  • Rachel Fabri
  • Mikhail Basmadjian
  • Paul Cilia
  • Henry Zammit Cordina
  • Paul Portelli
  • Richard Clarkin
CinematographyDiego Guijarro
Edited by
  • Matt Lyon
  • Peter Strauss
Production
companies
  • Falkun Films
  • Aiken Heart Films
Distributed byVortex Media
Release dates
  • December 4, 2021 (2021-12-04) (Whistler)
  • August 19, 2022 (2022-08-19) (Canada)
  • September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) (Malta)
Running time
  • 87 minutes (North American version)
  • 90 minutes (European version)
Countries
  • Canada
  • Malta
Languages
  • English
  • Maltese

Shot in Malta in 2019,[2] the film was screened for distributors in the Industry Selects program at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, but was not made available to the general public.[3] It had its public premiere at the 2021 Whistler Film Festival,[4] where Diego Guijarro won the award for Best Cinematography in a Borsos Competition film.[5] In 2022, it was screened at the Canadian Film Festival in Toronto, where it won the award for Best Film.[6] The film was released by Vortex Media in Canada in select theatres on August 19, 2022, and on video on demand on September 23, 2022.[7][8][9] In Malta, it was released theatrically on September 21, 2022.[10] In the United States, it was released theatrically in major cities and on video on demand on September 23, 2022, by Good Deed Entertainment.[9][11]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 20 critics, with an average rating of 6.8/10.[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]

References
  1. Gee, Dana (December 14, 2021). "Family member's sheltered life of servitude inspires filmmaker to shade the patriarchy". Vancouver Sun.
  2. Dalton, Ben (July 19, 2019). "Natascha McElhone signs to star in Valerie Buhagiar's 'Carmen', now shooting in Malta". Screen Daily.
  3. "Toronto Film Festival Unveils Conversations, Industry Selects, Special Event Lineups". Shoot. August 24, 2021.
  4. Smith, Charlie (December 13, 2021). "Whistler Film Festival movies, including The Pink Cloud and Drinkwater, are available online across Canada". The Georgia Straight.
  5. Smith, Charlie (December 20, 2021). "Cinema of Sleep wins Borsos award for best Canadian feature at Whistler Film Festival". The Georgia Straight.
  6. "Maltese film Carmen gets best feature award in Canadian Film Fest". Times of Malta. April 5, 2022.
  7. "TFCA Friday: Week of August 19". Toronto Film Critics Association. August 19, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  8. "Carmen". Edmonton Movie Guide. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  9. "CARMEN Trailer. Natascha McElhone Stars as a 50-year-old Woman Finding a New Start in Life". VIMooZ. August 17, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  10. Magri, Giulia (September 21, 2022). "Award-winning Maltese-Canadian film Carmen released locally". Times of Malta. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  11. Kraft, Tim (September 20, 2022). "Exclusive: Valerie Buhagiar and Natascha McElhone Discuss Carmen". MovieWeb. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  12. "Carmen". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  13. "Carmen Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 26, 2022.


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