Upon Entry

Upon Entry is a 2022 Spanish drama film directed by Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez (in their directorial debut feature). It stars Alberto Ammann and Bruna Cusí alongside Ben Temple and Laura Gómez.

Upon Entry
Theatrical release poster
SpanishUpon Entry (La llegada)
Directed by
  • Alejandro Rojas
  • Juan Sebastián Vásquez
Screenplay by
  • Alejandro Rojas
  • Juan Sebastián Vásquez
Produced by
  • Carles Torras
  • Carlos Juárez
  • Xosé Zapata
  • Sergio Adrià
  • Alba Sotorra
Starring
CinematographyJuan Sebastián Vásquez
Edited byEmanuele Tiziani
Production
companies
  • Zabriskie Films
  • Basque Films
  • Sygnatia
Distributed byKarma Films
Release dates
  • November 2022 (2022-11) (PÖFF)
  • 16 June 2023 (2023-06-16) (Spain)
CountrySpain
Languages
  • Spanish
  • English
  • Catalan

Plot

The plot concerns about the unpleasant vetting and questioning procedures that the couple formed by Diego (Venezuelan urbanist) and Elena (a contemporary dancer from Barcelona) suffers at the Newark Airport upon moving from Barcelona to the United States to start off a new life.[1][2]

Cast

Production

Written and directed by Venezuelan filmmakers Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez, Upon Entry is based on the helmers' personal experiences as immigrants.[2] The film is a Spanish co-production by Zabriskie Films, Basque Films, and Sygnatia, with the participation of TV3, and the support from ICEC, the Madrid regional administration, the Basque Government and Creative Europe's MEDIA.[1][4]

Release

Upon Entry screened at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) in November 2022.[4] It also made it to the official selection of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival.[1] It was picked up by Charade and Anonymous Content ahead of its screening at the South by Southwest (SXSW) for its North-American premiere.[2] It also received screenings at the 26th Málaga Film Festival and BAFICI.[5] Distributed by Karma Films,[6] it was released theatrically in Spain on 16 June 2023.

Charade closed distribution deals in Italy (Exit Media), Japan (Sochiku), Portugal (Alambique), India (Pictureworks), Pictureworks in India, CIS (Pionier), and France (Condor Distribution).[7]

Reception

According to the American review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Upon Entry has a 100% approval rating based on 8 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 8.2/10.[8]

Júlia Olmo of Cineuropa assessed that despite the film seemingly touching towards its end upon the clichés it managed to steer clear of before, it "manages to be an enjoyable film", "to achieve its verisimilitude and to make us forget for a while" "that we are watching a fictional film".[4]

Jonathan Holland of ScreenDaily considered that the film "plays out in that grey zone where legitimate questioning ends and the state torture manual begins", pointing out how generating "so much drama from what is basically 74 minutes of people talking across a table at one another is very clever film making indeed".[3]

Jordi Batlle Caminal of Fotogramas rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting the entire cast as the best thing about the film.[9]

Accolades
Year Award CategoryNominee(s) ResultRef.
202226th Tallinn Black Nights Film FestivalFIPRESCI AwardWon[10]
28th Kolkata International Film FestivalGolden Bengal Royal Tiger Award for Best FilmWon[11]
202326th Málaga Film FestivalSilver Biznaga for Best ActorAlberto AmmannWon[12]
23rd Golden Trailer AwardsBest Independent Trailer (for film budget shot under $1.5Million US)Upon Entry (ZEALOT)Won[13]

See also

References
  1. ""Upon Entry", a la secció oficial del festival de Kolkata Film Festival". Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals. 20 December 2022.
  2. Keslassy, Elsa (18 January 2023). "Charades, Anonymous Content Team on Spanish Psychological Thriller 'Upon Entry' Ahead of SXSW (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  3. Holland, Jonathan (15 March 2023). "'Upon Entry': Malaga Review". ScreenDaily.
  4. Olmo, Júlia (29 November 2022). "Review: Upon Entry". Cineuropa.
  5. Belategui, Oskar (17 June 2023). "'Upon Entry': Una pesadilla en el aeropuerto muy real". El Correo. Grupo Vocento.
  6. Sánchez Sequera, Marco (13 June 2023). "'Upon Entry (La llegada)' – estreno en cines 16 de junio". Audiovisual451.
  7. Leffler, Rebecca (4 May 2023). "Spanish SXSW title 'Upon Entry' thrills for Charades in France, key territories (exclusive)". ScreenDaily.
  8. "Upon Entry". RottenTomatoes. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  9. Batlle Caminal, Jordi (16 June 2023). "Crítica de 'Upon Entry', el thriller kafkiano de Alberto Ammann y Bruna Cusí". Fotogramas.
  10. "Alberto Ammann y Bruna Cusí retenidos al intentar entrar en EEUU en 'Upon Entry'". Cine con Ñ. 16 December 2022.
  11. Dasgupta, Priyanka (23 December 2022). "Curtains on Kolkata International Film Festival with two films from Bangladesh & Spain sharing top Rs 51 lakh award". The Times of India.
  12. Meza, Ed (18 March 2023). "Spain's '20,000 Species of Bees,' Panamanian Drama 'Sister & Sister' Win Malaga Film Festival's Golden Biznagas". Variety.
  13. Pedersen, Erik (June 29, 2023). "Golden Trailer Awards: Cocaine Bear, Only Murders In The Building & Oppenheimer Among Top Winners – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
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