I’ve Never Been to Disney', by Matilde Tute Vissani, thrills at the Festival de Málaga with an intimate portrait of the end of childhood
The Argentinian director presents her debut feature, a coming-of-age film about the transition between childhood and adolescence
This Sunday, 16 March, the Albéniz Cinema hosted the presentation and screening of 'Nunca fui a Disney’ (I’ve Never Been to Disney), the first feature film by Argentinian filmmaker Matilde Tute Vissani, which is competing in the Official Competition of the 28th Festival de Málaga. The film, for which Vissani received the award for best director at BAFICI 2024, has moved audiences with its story of growing up, family and the passage of time in a seaside town.
The presentation, moderated by Fernándo Méndez-Leite, president of the Film Academy, was attended by director Matilde Tute Vissani, actress Lucía Martínez Lag, screenwriter and assistant director Agustina Márquez Merlin, director of photography Florencia Barbati and executive producer Wanelén Farías.
The film tells the story of Lucía, an 11-year-old girl, who faces an atypical holiday in San Bernardo with her mother and younger sister. In the midst of a crisis situation, with a separation in process, the girl begins to discover herself and the world around her, marking the end of her childhood and the beginning of a new phase.
Matilde Tute Vissani said that 'Nunca fui a Disney' is "a very independent film, a dream that was born in the Faculty of Buenos Aires. It was the one that allowed us to build this project, which took a lot of effort but also a lot of love.
"We were able to do it mainly because there was a huge will to make a film. It was the first film for the whole team, each in their own area. It was financed by ourselves, that's why it's super independent, obviously, with little or no experience, we tried to build a film that we imagined was possible.
For Lucía Martínez Lag, who shot the film when she was twelve years old, the story "reflects very well that moment when Lucía is no longer a child, when she wants her space and her independence. I could really identify with the character because I went through the same thing a year later”. Regarding Lucía, Matilde explained that she was very much pre-selected for the part, and the casting confirmed it.
And in addition to a good team and heaps of enthusiasm, music also played a fundamental role during the process. Matilde says that there were "eight people sleeping in a single room for 20 days. I would get up at 6am and put on the playlist to get into the mood of the film". The soundtrack, by Nicolás García Médici and Mora Médici, was key to reinforcing the ambience of the film.
Florencia Barbati added that: "Many of us are giving our lives to be here, for what we love and what filmmaking means to us. When we made the film we were post-adolescents in college and I don't think any of us imagined we could be here. This empowers you and makes you want to continue making films".
With a script co-written by Vissani herself with Márquez Merlin and photography by Florencia Barbati, 'Nunca fui a Disney' stands out for its intimate portrayal and its ability to narrate the everyday with great sensitivity.
Matilde Tute Vissani is currently working on her next feature film, thereby consolidating her position in Argentinian cinema.
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