Rita

Paz Vega's first film as a director is set in Seville in the summer of 1984. Seven-year-old Rita wants to go to the beach; her father prefers to watch the football, and no one in the house can contradict him. The film shows events at the child's height. Arguments are heard through a doorway and explanations are left half finished; rather than staging the violence, the narrative looks for the moment the child understands the house is not safe. Vega also plays the mother. The period design and the sound of the tournament coming from the radio set the ground of the narrative. The close is hard and offers no relief. Who it's for: those who like Spanish drama and films told from a child's view. Who it's not for: viewers for whom domestic violence would sit heavily.