DIRECTOR: Nathalie Álvarez Mesén
PRODUCTION: Nima Yousefi
CAST: Wendy Chinchilla Araya, Daniel Castañeda Rincón, Ana Julia Porras Espinoza, Flor María Vargas Chaves.
COUNTRY: Sweden, Costa Rica, Belgium
LANGUAGE: Spanish
YEAR: 2021
GENRE: Drama
DURATION: 106 m.
PREMIERE: May 20th, 2022
CLARA SOLA
CLARA, 40, is believed to have a special connection to God. As a “healer”, she sustains a family and a village in need of hope, while she finds solace in her relationship with the natural world. After years of being controlled by her mother’s repressive care, Clara’s sexual desires are stirred by her attraction to her niece’s new boyfriend. This newly awakened force takes Clara to unexplored territory, allowing her to cross boundaries, both physical and mystical. Empowered by her self-discovery, Clara gradually frees herself from her role as “saint” and begins to heal herself.
FESTIVALS AND AWARDS
- 74º Cannes Film Festival – Directors’ Fortnight
- D’A Film Festival Barcelona
- Festival de cine de Lima – Competition – Best Film, Best Actress, Best Photography
- BFI London Film Festival
- Haugesund International Film Festival – Nordic Focus Section – Competition – Best Film
- Haifa International Film Festival
- Reykjavik International Film Festival – New Visions Competition
- Guadalajara International Film Festival – Ibero Americana Competition
- Film Fest Gent – Competition
- El Gouna Film Festival – Feature Narrative Competition
- Cinemaissi – Latin American Film Festival Helsinki – Opening Film / New Voices
- Gangneung International Film Festival – International Narrative Feature
- Seminci Valladolid IFF – Official Competition
- Cine Por Mujeres – International Competition
- Mostra de Sao Paulo – New Directors Competition – Best Fiction Film Award, Best Actress, BRA.DA Award
- Thessaloniki International Film Festival – International Competition – Special Jury Award
- Days of European Film – Winner Best Debut Film
- Music & Cinema International film Festival – Winner Best Original Score
NATHALIE ÁLVAREZ MESÉN
Costa Rican-Swedish screenwriter and director. Her debut feature Clara Sola premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. She began her career in physical theater in Costa Rica before earning her bachelor’s degree in Mime Performance at Stockholm University of the Arts in Sweden. Nathalie subsequently graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate Film Program in New York with a master’s degree in film directing and screenwriting.
Her short film, Filip, won Best Film Under 15 Minutes at the 2016 Palm Springs Shortfest, and Asunder, screened at the 2016 Telluride Film Festival. Nathalie also co-wrote Between You And The Miracles, winner of the Orizzonti for Best Short Film at the 2020 Venice Film Festival, and has developed her second feature film, The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands at the Torino ScriptLab 2021.
