Woman Without Piano

Colour, 35 mm
Spain, France, 2009, 95 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

Rosa lives the ordinary life of a housewife. Her day is filled with taking care of the apartment and preparing food for her husband, a taxi driver. Rosa spends her days in routine activities and, beyond a constant ringing in her ears, she also clearly suffers from the emptiness of her existence. The film records 24 hours in the life of a woman trapped in a rut who decides, with the advent of night, to break loose from her boring life. She changes her look and sets out to discover what nightlife is all about. At a local bus stop she meets Radek, an eccentric Polish immigrant. Together Rosa and Radek experience a string of unexpected events. This gently comic, leisurely-paced movie stands out for its distinctive atmosphere that takes advantage of a consistent focus on the extraordinariness of everyday moments. The film is built upon Carmen Machi’s outwardly staid performance in the starring role and upon rigorous still camerawork emphasizing a cool palette. Czech actor and musician Jan Budař plays the unconventional Radek.

About the director

Javier Rebollo (b. 1969, Madrid) first worked as a producer for Televisión Española. In 1993-1999 he worked in Telemadrid’s newsroom where he ended up directing documentaries. From 1990 to 1994 he was personal assistant to director Antonio Drove, who influenced him both personally and intellectually. In 1996 he cofounded Lolita Films, a production company focusing on documentaries and shorts. In 1997–2002 Rebollo shot several shorts which were screened at festivals around the world, receiving much acclaim. His feature debut Lola (Lo que sé de Lola, 2006) was chosen by El Mundo newspaper as one of the five best Spanish films of the year and was screened in the Horizons section at the KVIFF. Woman Without Piano took the Silver Seashell for direction at the San Sebastian IFF.