‘Alcarràs’ will now be considered for a nomination for Best International Feature Film. Award nominations will be announced on 24 January, and the 95th Academy Awards presentation will take place on Sunday, 12 March, in Los Angeles (California).

‘Alcarràs’ is the third ever Catalan-language film to be selected for the Academy Awards after 2010’s ‘Pa Negre,’ directed by Agustí Villaronga, and ‘Estiu 1993’ (Summer 1993), Simón’s first movie.

Box office hit

The film arrived in cinemas in the spring and very quickly became the biggest Spanish box office hit of the year, selling 300,000 tickets in its first month, and taking in €1 million in theatres not even two weeks after its commercial release.

After picking up the Golden Bear award in Berlin, the achievement was dubbed a “historic turning point” for Catalan cinema by those working in the industry.

Rural life

The movie is a tribute to rural life, family farms, and respectful agriculture. It tells the story of the last fruit harvest that a family goes through on their farm where they have cultivated peaches for generations before they must leave the land after the owners decide to install solar panels.

Much of the film takes place at the family home surrounded by the fields where they work. Here, we see the family gradually come to grips with their new reality.

‘Alcarràs’ is Carla Simón’s second film, after ‘Estiu 1993’ (Summer 1993) – in both productions, her personal story is obvious.

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