Almamula

Generation 14plus 2023

“He’s not the first boy who’s missing in the forest. The boy that was with him says that a monster has taken him.”

Santiago del Estero, northern Argentina. When Nino is deemed a bad influence to the other boys in his neighbourhood and has to endure homophobic attacks on the streets, his parents temporarily move the family to the countryside. Away from the city, Nino wanders in a forest supposedly haunted by the Almamula, a monster that takes those who commit carnal sins and impure acts. It’s summer: the bodies sweat, the line between dream and reality becomes blurry. A boy disappears. In a world surrounded by whispers, unspoken desires and prayers, Nino’s curiosity and impulses surface. As an escape from a reality flooded with toxicity, repressions, interdictions and imminent violence, the hidden and sensuous mysteries of the forest become increasingly attractive to Nino.

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by Juan Sebastian Torales
with Nicolás Díaz, Martina Grimaldi, María Soldi, Cali Coronel, Luisa Lucía Paz, Beto Frágola, Tania Darchuk, Adrián Ramallo France / Argentina / Italy 2023 Spanish 94’ Colour World premiere | Debut film recommendation: 14 years and up

With

Nicolás Díaz (Nino)
Martina Grimaldi (Natalia)
María Soldi (Estela)
Cali Coronel (Ernesto)
Luisa Lucía Paz (María)
Beto Frágola (Malevo)
Tania Darchuk (Tania)
Adrián Ramallo (Cesar)

Crew

Director	Juan Sebastian Torales
Screenplay	Juan Sebastian Torales
Cinematography	Ezequiel Salinas
Editing	Juan Sebastian Torales
Sound Design	Federico Forleo
Sound	Manuel Yeri Racig
Production Design	Pilar Peredo
Costumes	Soledad Cancela
Make-Up	Melina Araya
Assistant Director	Santiago Massip
Producers	Pilar Peredo, Edgard Tenembaum
Co-Producers	Lorena Quevedo, Augusto Pelliccia, Caroline De Jenlis
Co-Production	Twins Latin Films Córdoba Augustus Color Rom Palermo Paris

World Sales

Bendita Film Sales

http://benditafilms.com http://benditafilms.com

Produced by

Tu Vas Voir

http://www.tuvasvoir.fr http://www.tuvasvoir.fr

Photos

Juan Sebastian Torales

Since 2017, the Argentinian director has lived in Paris where he has worked on over 30 documentaries for French television as a commissioning editor. His first short documentary as a director, La croix, premiered at the Mar del Plata Film Festival. As a preamble to his debut feature film Almamula, which he developed with the support of an Eurimages Development Award, he made two short films Sacha and Maco which, like the feature, are set in his hometown of Santiago del Estero.

Filmography

2008 La croix; short film 2011 Los árboles; short film 2018 Le warrior; short film 2019 Sacha; short film 2020 Maco; short film 2023 Almamula

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023