El Planeta (film)

An absurdist comedy, the film centers on the story of a mother and daughter facing eviction in post-crisis Spain and scamming their way to a more comfortable lifestyle. The film is loosely based on the real-life Spanish mother-daughter petty-crime duo Justina and Ana Belén.{{Cite web|url=https://www.artforum.com/film/gilda-williams-on-amalia-ulman-s-el-planeta-2021-84945|title=Gilda Williams on Amalia Ulman's el Planeta (2021)}}

The cast includes:{{cite web|url=https://www.varietyinsight.com/production_restart_full_view.php?track_id=186242 | title=Film and TV Projects Going Into Production - El Planeta|website=Variety Insight |access-date=March 23, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323154004/https://www.varietyinsight.com/production_restart_full_view.php?track_id=186242 |archive-date=March 23, 2021}}

• Amalia Ulman as Leonor Jimenez
• Ale Ulman as María Rendueles
• Nacho Vigalondo as Older Man
• Zhou Chen as Younger Man
• Saoirse Bertram as Fashion Editor
• Andrea Escobar as Waitress{{Citation |title=El Planeta (2021) - IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt12788368/fullcredits |access-date=2024-01-05}}

Ulman wrote, produced, and directed the feature, which stars herself and her mother in the latter's debut performance on the silver screen. The film was shot in black and white in Gijón, the Spanish town where Ulman grew up.

The film had its premiere in the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021, in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/sundance-film-festival-announces-2021-lineup-1234854059/|title=Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright|website=Variety|first=Peter|last=Debruge|date=December 15, 2020|access-date=January 5, 2021|language=en}}

On March 17, 2021, Utopia acquired the US distribution rights to the film.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/global/utopia-media-sundance-title-el-planeta-1234932618/|title=Utopia Nabs North American Rights to Sundance Hit 'El Planeta' (EXCLUSIVE)|date=March 17, 2021}} On July 16, 2021, Static Vision announced their acquisition of the Australian and New Zealand rights to the film.{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CRYLE7-jP8a/|title=Static Vision's El Planeta announcement on Instagram|date=July 16, 2021}}

The film was selected for screening at the Brisbane International Film Festival and the Sydney Film Festival in October and November 2021 respectively.{{cite web | title=Sydney Film Festival highlight El Planeta, David Lynch's Inland Empire and actor Hal Cumpston | website=ABC Radio National |first =Jason |last =Di Rosso|format =Audio + text| date=28 October 2021 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-screen-show/el-planeta,-david-lynch,-inland-empire,-hal-campston/13604086 | access-date=28 October 2021}} The film was also selected to screen at the 2021 edition of the Melbourne International Film Festival, before the in-person element of the festival was cancelled.

{{as of|May 2022}} review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes surveyed {{nowrap|41 critics}} and, categorizing the reviews as positive or negative, assessed 39 as positive and 2 as negative for a 95% rating. Among the reviews, it determined an average rating of 7.5 out of 10.{{cite web|title=El Planeta (2021) Reviews|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/el_planeta|url-status=live|access-date=May 3, 2022|website=Rotten Tomatoes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503002021/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/el_planeta |archive-date=May 3, 2022 }}

It won critical acclaim at its Sundance screening.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/festivals/sundance-el-planeta-amalia-ulman-1234896376/|title=Artist Amalia Ulman Makes Her Feature Debut with Sundance Contender 'El Planeta'|date=30 January 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/el-planeta-heralds-amalia-ulman-as-an-invigorating-new-cinematic-voice|title = "El Planeta" Heralds Amalia Ulman as an Invigorating New Cinematic Voice|date = February 2021}}

El Planeta has been nominated for and won a number of awards. Wins have included:{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12788368/awards/?ref_=tt_awd| website=IMDb| title=El Planeta: Awards }}

• Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema: Best Director, FEISAL Award
• Galway Film Fleadh: Peripheral Visions Award
• Jerusalem Film Festival: Best International Debut
• Oak Cliff Film Festival: Best Narrative Feature
• Toulouse Cinespaña: Winner, Best Screenplay

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|12788368}}
• {{Rottentomatoes|el_planeta}}

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Category:Spanish comedy films

Category:American comedy films

Category:2021 comedy films

Category:2021 films

Category:2020s American films

Category:Films about eviction in Spain

Category:2020s Spanish films