Loreak

Loreak, released in the US as Flowers,[1] is a 2014 Basque-language Spanish drama film directed by Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga.

Loreak
Theatrical release poster
Loreak (Flowers)
Directed byJon Garaño
Jose Mari Goenaga
Produced byXabier Berzosa
Written byJon Garaño
Aitor Arregi
Jose Mari Goenaga
StarringNagore Aranburu
Itziar Ituño
Itziar Aizpuru
Josean Bengoetxea
Ane Gabarain
Music byPascal Gaigne
CinematographyJavi Agirre Erauso
Edited byRaúl López
Production
companies
Irusoin
Moriarti Produkzioak
EITB
TVE
Distributed byA Contracorrientefilms (Spain)
Music Box Films (United States)
Film Factory Entertainment (International)
Release date
  • October 31, 2014 (2014-10-31) (Spain)
Running time
99 minutes
CountrySpain
LanguageBasque

It premiered in the Official Section of the 2014 San Sebastián International Film Festival, and was also screened at the 2014 BFI London Film Festival, the 2014 Zurich Film Festival, the 2014 Tokyo International Film Festival and the 2015 Palm Springs International Film Festival.[2][3][4]

It became the first Basque language film nominated for the Goya Award for Best Film.[5] It was selected as the Spanish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, being the first Basque language film to do it, but it was not nominated.[6][7]

Plot

Ane (played by Nagore Aranburu) is a woman in her early forties who does not feel fulfilled. Her life changes when she starts to receive bouquets of flowers at home anonymously, once a week. The lives of Lourdes (Itziar Ituño) and Tere (Itziar Aizpuru) are also altered by some mysterious flowers. A stranger leaves flowers every week in memory of someone who was important for them.

Cast
  • Nagore Aranburu as Ane
  • Itziar Ituño as Lourdes
  • Itziar Aizpuru as Tere
  • Josean Bengoetxea as Beñat
  • Egoitz Lasa as Ander
  • Ane Gabarain as Jaione
  • José Ramón Soroiz as Txema
  • Jox Berasategi as Jexus

Critical reception

Loreak was met with positive reviews by critics. Jonathan Holland of The Hollywood Reporter praised it for being "as beguiling and beautifully structured as the flowers of its title" and said it "absolutely deserves wider exposure".[8] Jay Weissberg of Variety called the film "beautifully cast" and "an affecting story of loss and the ways people cope".[9] Lluís Bonet Mojica of La Vanguardia, who gave Loreak a five-star review, noted that it is a "film where nothing happens and everything happens". Oti Rodríguez Marchante of ABC described the film as a "moving and delicate melodrama". On the mixed side, Andrea G. Bermejo of Cinemanía gave Loreak 3.5 stars out of five and observed that "by means of so much perfection [...] the result loses some spontaneity, some audacity, and perhaps, some weight".[10]

Awards and nominations
AwardsCategoryNominatedResult
62nd San Sebastián International Film Festival Golden Shell for Best Film Nominated
SIGNIS Award, Special Mention[11] Won
2015 Palm Springs International Film Festival[12] Cine Latino Award Won
Premis Sant Jordi de Cinematografia 2015[13] Best Spanish Film Won
II Premios Feroz[14] Best Drama Nominated
Best Director Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga Nominated
Best Screenplay Jon Garaño, Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Itziar Aizpuru Won
Best Original Soundtrack Pascal Gaigne Nominated
Best Film Poster Nominated
29th Goya Awards[15] Best Film Nominated
Best Original Score Pascal Gaigne Nominated

See also

References
  1. "Flowers". Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  2. "Festival de cine de San Sebastián: 'Loreak' se estrena en la Sección Oficial". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 24 September 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  3. ""LOREAK (Flores)" SE ESTRENA HOY VIERNES 31 DE OCTUBRE". A Contracorriente (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  4. "Flowers". Palm Springs International Film Society. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  5. "'Loreak', primera cinta en euskera candidata al Goya a la mejor película". El País. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  6. "'Loreak', elegida como candidata española a los Oscar". El País. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  7. Aguilar, Carlos (29 September 2015). "Spain Chooses Basque-Language Drama 'Loreak' as Oscar Submission". IndieWire. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  8. Holland, Jonathan (17 November 2014). "Loreak (Flowers)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  9. Weissberg, Jay (10 December 2014). "Film Review: 'Flowers'". Variety. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  10. "Loreak (Flores)". FilmAffinity. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  11. "SIGNIS PREMIA A "A SECOND CHANCE" DE LA DIRECTORA SUSANNE BIER". SIGNIS España (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  12. "PSIFF 2015 Jury Award Winners Announced". Palm Springs International Film Festival (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  13. "'Loreak', Premio Sant Jordi de RNE a la mejor película española". Premios Goya (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  14. "Lista de nominados a los Premios Feroz 2015". Premios Feroz (in Spanish). 17 December 2014. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  15. "Candidaturas - Loreak". Premios Goya (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 January 2014.
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