Santoalla

Santoalla is a 2016 documentary film about the deterioration in neighbor relations in a small Spanish village.

Santoalla
Poster
Directed byAndrew Becker
Daniel Mehrer[1]
Produced byChristina de la Torre
Dave O'Connor
Justin Wilkes
Jeremy Cohan
Paul Mehrer
John Bertuzzi
Josh Russ Tupper[1]
CinematographyAndrew Becker
Daniel Mehrer
Edited byAndrew Becker
Production
company
Release date
  • June 17, 2016 (2016-06-17)
Running time
83 minutes
LanguagesEnglish
Galician

Synopsis

Spanning over several decades, Santoalla tells the story of the Dutch couple Margo Pool and her husband Martin Verfondern as they settle into a village known as Santoalla (also written as Santa Eulalia) in the remote mountainous region of Galicia in northwest Spain.

The village, largely abandoned and slowly crumbling into ruins, gradually comes to be occupied by only one other family, the Rodríguezes. At first amicable, tensions begin to rise between the two families as disputes over land usage, cultural differences, and misinterpreted intentions culminate into the mysterious disappearance of Martin Verfondern in 2010. Intertwined with newsreel footage, archival video montages, and interviews with Pool herself, the documentary shifts between the past and “present”, showcasing the progression in the relationship between the neighbors culminating in a tragic end.

Production and release

The film was produced by Radical Media and distributed by the indie distribution company Oscilloscope. Directors Andrew Becker and Daniel Mehrer were heavily involved in the creative process while producing.[2]

The film first premiered June 17, 2016. It was released to streaming services on July 9, 2017 and limited screenings in theatres on July 19, 2017.

Reception

Santoalla received largely positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 85% approval rating with an average rating of 7.9/10 based on 100+ reviews.[3]

Neil Young of The Hollywood Reporter described Santoalla as "A quietly absorbing true-crime tale" and wrote that "handling nearly all key creative duties between them, Becker and Mehrer have crafted a solid, even-handed survey of their chosen material, allowing viewers access to a beautiful, damply verdant, enticingly tumbledown corner of Europe."[2] Kennet Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the film is "Nominally focused on one man's mysterious disappearance, Santoalla is really concerned with cultures in collision, with what happens when dreams of paradise clash, good intentions become unhinged and the darker angels of our nature gain the upper hand." He noted that "Santoalla is a strong addition to the group" of similar documentaries.[4]

Awards and nominations

Award Year Category Recipient(s) and Nominee(s) Result
Austin Film Festival 2016 Documentary Feature Andrew Becker and Daniel Mehrer Won
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema 2017 Best Feature Film Andrew Becker and Daniel Mehrer Nominated
Cleveland International Film Festival 2017 Best Documentary Andrew Becker and Daniel Mehrer Nominated
Lighthouse International Film Festival 2017 Best Documentary Andrew Becker and Danile Mehrer Won
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Film Festival 2017 Best Documentary Andrew Becker and Daniel Mehrer Nominated
Salem Film Fest, US 2017 Best Editing Andrew Becker Won
Cervino Cinemountain Film Festival 2017 Best Foreign Film Andrew Becker and Daniel Mehrer Won
Tallgrass Film Festival 2016 Outstanding Documentary Feature Andrew Becker and Daniel Mehrer Won

References

  1. "Santoalla". OCLC 1021282544. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  2. Young, Neil (2016-07-03). "'Santoalla': Edinburgh Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  3. "Santoalla". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  4. "Review: A couple's dreams of paradise turn tragic in the unsettling Santoalla". Los Angeles Times. 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
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