AFTERNOONS OF SOLITUDE
A film by Albert Serra
2024, 125 minutes
2024, 125 minutes
No. 472
Documentary
Documentary
Description
The new film from the visionary director of Pacifiction, Albert Serra’s Afternoons of Solitude is a spellbinding documentary that turns its gaze on the ceremonial splendor and devastating brutality of bullfighting in Spain.
With quiet intensity, Serra follows famed matador Andrés Roca Rey, from the solitude of his hotel room and the meticulousness of his preparations to the charged spectacle of the arena. Through his immersive and unhurried lens, Serra reveals Rey’s profound physical, spiritual, and aesthetic commitment to a centuries-old ritual—one that demands he take part in a timeless duel between man and beast.
Festivals
Official Selection, San Sebastian International Film Festival
Reviews
"Critic's Pick! Mesmerizing." - The New York Times
“This new documentary by Albert Serra is one of the most transfixing I’ve seen in a while… With its blend of intimacy and majesty, of breathless action and overarching monumentality, he achieves a unity, a synthesis, and a far-reaching vision that he has only occasionally found in fiction.” - The New Yorker
“Riveting.” - The Wall Street Journal
“One of the year’s best films. A visceral experience. Fascinating.” - Film Comment
"Ballsy and transfixing" - IndieWire
"Serra’s extraordinary documentary... This is a major work from a richly maturing filmmaker, of a piece with his recent fiction features." - Variety
“This new documentary by Albert Serra is one of the most transfixing I’ve seen in a while… With its blend of intimacy and majesty, of breathless action and overarching monumentality, he achieves a unity, a synthesis, and a far-reaching vision that he has only occasionally found in fiction.” - The New Yorker
“Riveting.” - The Wall Street Journal
“One of the year’s best films. A visceral experience. Fascinating.” - Film Comment
"Ballsy and transfixing" - IndieWire
"Serra’s extraordinary documentary... This is a major work from a richly maturing filmmaker, of a piece with his recent fiction features." - Variety
