Joaquin Phoenix Brings Napoleon to Life on the Big Screen
Joaquin Phoenix, the Oscar-winner for Joker, steps into the shoes of Napoleon Bonaparte under Ridley Scott’s direction. The film centers on Napoleon’s military campaigns and his intense bond with Josephine, played by Vanessa Kirby. The project promises epic battle sequences and a portrait of a man who rose from obscurity to command an empire.
Scott acknowledges that some criticisms of historical precision are fair in places, but the drama remains focused on the human drive behind the rise of a remarkable commander.
Disney’s Wish: The Power of Wishes — A Century-Long Homage
Wish celebrates the centennial of Disney with a fairy-tale adventure that revisits the studio’s most iconic figures. Set on a magical Mediterranean island called Rosas, a benevolent king preserves the wishes of his people in a grand palace. When apprentice Asha discovers the king does not intend to fulfill these dreams, she seeks help from a guiding star.
Blanca Portillo Portrays a Questioning Teresa
Paula Ortiz, known for her Lorca-inspired The Bride, returns with a film centered on Teresa of Jesus. The story examines the influence and doubts surrounding the 16th-century mystic through the lens of Juan Mayorga’s Language in Fragments. Portillo leads a cast including Greta Fernández and Ainet Jounou, with Asier Etxeandía portraying the investigator. The film leans into doubt and imagination as elements of faith.
Blanca Portillo anchors the performance, supported by a young Greta Fernández and newcomer Ainet Jounou. The narrative invites viewers to reflect on belief, doubt, and the ways religious devotion can intersect with personal discovery.
Love, Family, and Disillusion in a New Martín Cuenca Film
Manuel Martín Cuenca, renowned for Caníbal, The Reason, and La Hija, returns with a family drama seen through the eyes of a young girl. The plot follows a couple seeking clues about their father’s disappearance while caring for their siblings. The project features a fresh cast, with Vetusta Morla providing music, and was filmed in a straightforward, chronological style to preserve the actors’ discovery of the script on set.
Scrapper: An Absent Father and a Growing Bond
Charlotte Regan’s debut, Scrapper, earned the Sundance Jury Prize and has become a standout in contemporary British cinema. The story centers on the relationship between a 12-year-old girl and her missing father. Lola Campbell makes a striking debut as Georgie, a London resident navigating life after her mother’s death. Harris Dickinson plays the father figure, bringing a quiet, poignant presence to the film as the narrative unfolds.
Heroic Shadows: Violence and The Mexican Army
Produced by Michel Franco, this second feature from Mexican director David Zonana dives into violence, machismo, and corruption within the army. The drama follows a young man who enters military life hoping to secure health coverage for his diabetic mother, only to become a pawn under the authority of his superiors. Santiago Sandoval leads the cast in a film that examines power dynamics and the human cost of obedience.
The film, which competed at the recent San Sebastián Festival, portrays a young recruit who adapts to a brutal system that dehumanizes even those who enter with good intentions.
No, I Don’t Want: Refusing Forced Marriage
This documentary spotlights four women who resist arranged marriage and confront their families. Directed by Belén Santos, a Madrid native, the film condemns the modern forms of slavery embedded in traditional practices. Aya, Amy, Jamila, and María represent diverse backgrounds—African, Moroccan, and Bangladeshi—and each story unfolds against the backdrop of Catalonia and southern Spain as it calls for agency and dignity.
A Hard Life on the Street: A Personal Journey
Octavio Guerra, from the Canary Islands, directs a documentary about the struggle to escape street life. The narrative follows a man who, after ten years, finds a shelter but still faces the challenge of gaining autonomy. The story traces his efforts to build a new path with the help of a shelter coordinator who guides him toward sustainable support and independence.