Año bisiesto

Año Bisiesto (Leap Year)

Promotional picture
Directed by Michael Rowe
Produced by Machete Producciones,
Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)
Written by Lucía Carreras
Michael Rowe
Starring Monica del Carmen
Gustavo Sánchez Parra
Marco Zapata
Armando Hernández
Music by Song "Flores para ti" from Afrodita
Cinematography Juan Manuel Sepulveda
Release dates
  • May 17, 2010 (Cannes)
Running time
92 min.
Country Mexico
Language Spanish

Año Bisiesto (Leap Year) is a 2010 Mexican film from the Australian-Mexican screenwriter and film director Michael Rowe.

Synopsis

Shot almost entirely in a seedy one-room apartment, this psychodrama details the grinding routine of Laura (Mónica del Carmen), a 25-year-old freelance journalist, who lives a very isolated life in her small apartment rarely venturing out besides getting men home from nightclubs and never going beyond one night in bed. Until she meets the quiet, inscrutable Arturo (Gustavo Sánchez Parra) and the pair enter into an intense, violent sexual relationship. The story focuses on the fascinating evolution of their relationship. As days go by, Laura crosses out the days on a calendar, revealing her secret past to her lover. It takes place in February on a leap year.[1][2][3]

Main releases

The film premiered in France, at the Cannes Film Festival Directors' Fortnight the 17th of May, 2010, and a month later on a public release. Next place to see the film was Rowe's home country, Australia, at the Melbourne International Film Festival and many other Film Festivals followed (Toronto, Athens, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Mar del Plata in Argentine, Hong Kong and the Latin Beat Film Festival in Japan, among others).

According to the producers, the film was sold in over 30 countries and in Mexico it played in commercial theaters with only 12 copies and was seen by close to 50,000 spectators –unlike large productions that screen up to 200 copies.[4]

Film Festivals and Awards

Year Edition Festival / Institution Section Award To Result
201063rdFestival de Cannes (France)[5]CompetitionCamera d'Or (first-time director)Michael RoweWon
201059thMelbourne International Film Festival (Australia)
201059thToronto International Film Festival (Canada)Contemporary WorldNominated
20108thMorelia International Film Festival (Mexico)
201025thMar del Plata International Film Festival (Argentina)
201048thGijón International Film Festival (Spain)OfficialBest FilmNominated
201054thLondon Film Festival (UK)World Cinema
201153rdAcademia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas (AMACC)Ariel Awards[6]Best ActressMónica del CarmenWon
Best Original ScriptLucía Carreras
Michael Rowe
Nominated
Best First FeatureMichael RoweWon

References

  1. Tobias, Scott (Jun 23, 2011). "Leap Year (2011) (review)". AV Club. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  2. Mason, Eoin (Sep 29, 2010). "Road to the London Film Festival". MultiMediaMouth. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  3. IMDb entry
  4. "The Challenge of Telling a Good Story". Negocios. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  5. "Cannes Film Festival 2010: list of winners". The Telegraph. May 23, 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  6. "Ganadores y nominados 2011". AMACC (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 April 2014.

External links