Power Alley

Power Alley (Portuguese: Levante) is a drama film, directed by Lillah Halla and released in 2023.[1] The film centres on Sofia (Ayomi Domenica Dias), a 17-year-old volleyball player in Brazil who is on the verge of being offered an athletic scholarship, when she unexpectedly finds herself pregnant and must struggle to find a way to get an abortion in light of the political and legal situation in the country.[2]

For the audio engineering term, see Power alley.
Power Alley
PortugueseLevante
Directed byLillah Halla
Written byLillah Halla
María Elena Morán
Produced byClarissa Guarilha
Rafaella Costa
Louise Bellicaud
Claire Charles-Gervais
StarringAyomi Domenica Dias
CinematographyWilssa Esser
Edited byEva Randolph
Music byMaria Beraldo
Production
companies
Arissas
Manjericão Filmes
In Vivo Films
Cimarrón Cine
Release date
  • 23 September 2023 (2023-09-23) (Cannes)
Running time
99 minutes
CountriesBrazil
France
Uruguay
LanguagePortuguese

The film also addresses secondary themes about the status of LGBTQ communities in Brazil; although Sofia herself is heterosexual, her volleyball team includes LGBTQ teammates whose own struggles for equality are depicted alongside Sofia's struggle for reproductive choice.[3]

Its supporting cast includes Loro Bardot, Grace Passô, Gláucia Vandeveld, Rômulo Braga and Larissa Siqueira.

Production

Halla's feature debut, the film was made as an international coproduction of companies from Brazil, France and Uruguay after its initial funding was rescinded in a wave of politically-motivated arts cutbacks by the government of Jair Bolsonaro.[4]

Distribution

Ahead of its premiere, the film secured a sales deal with M-Appeal,[5] which announced numerous international distribution deals later in the year.[6]

The film premiered in the Critics' Week program at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival,[7] where it was the winner of the FIPRESCI Prize for Parallel Sections[8] and was in contention for the Queer Palm.[9]

At the 2023 Festival du nouveau cinéma in Canada, it was the winner of the inaugural Fierté Montréal prize for best LGBTQ-themed film in the festival lineup.

References
  1. Éric Lavallée, "That Time of the Month: Halla Offers Ringside Seats to the Courts – Both On and Off". Ioncinema, 23 May 2023.
  2. David Katz, "Review: Power Alley". Cineuropa, 24 May 2023.
  3. Wendy Ide, "‘Power Alley’: Cannes Review". Screen Daily, 23 May 2023.
  4. Alex Denney, "Power Alley, a Furious Cannes Debut About Abortion in Brazil". AnOther, 6 June 2023.
  5. Leo Barraclough, "Suspense-Filled Abortion Drama ‘Power Alley’ Boarded by M-Appeal Ahead of Cannes’ Critics’ Week Premiere". Variety, 25 April 2023.
  6. Leo Barraclough, "Cannes Titles ‘Let Me Go,’ ‘Power Alley’ Secure Distribution in Multiple Territories". Variety, 4 October 2023.
  7. Scott Roxborough, "Cannes Critics’ Week Unveils Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter, 17 April 2023.
  8. Balaga, Marta (27 May 2023). "'The Zone of Interest,' 'The Settlers' Score Fipresci Awards at Cannes". Variety. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  9. Florian Ques (4 May 2023). "Festival de Cannes : voici les films en lice pour la Queer Palm 2023". Têtu (in French). Retrieved 16 May 2023.
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