Aunque es de noche (Even though it's night) is a 2023 Spanish and French short film directed by Guillermo García López shot in 16mm which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in official competition.[1] Filmed in Cañada Real, Europe's largest slum, the film follows two teenagers, Toni & Nasser, before one of them has to leave the place forever.

Aunque es de noche
Directed byGuillermo García López
Written byGuillermo García López, Inbar Horesh
Produced byMarina García López, David Casas Riesco, Pablo De la chica, Justin Pechberty, Damien Megherbi
Edited byVictoria Lammers
Distributed byLes Valseurs, Marvin & Wayne
Release date
  • May 2023 (2023-05)
Running time
15 minutes
CountriesSpain, France

In February 2024, Aunque es de noche received the Goya award for Best Fiction short.[2]

Plot

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La Cañada Real, Europe's largest slum on the outskirts of Madrid, has been without electricity for over a year. In the firelight, Toni, a 13 year-old boy, discovers that his best friend Nasser is leaving forever. Amongst Roma legends of a possible future, Toni looks for a way to stay connected to him.

Reception

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Aunque es de noche made its world debut at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Official competition and has since received positive reviews. Miriam Voigt described it in TalkingShorts as a "coming of age (which) becomes a metaphysical quest for reassurance",[3] while Closeupculture cites it as their 7th best short film of 2023.[4]

In their review of Cannes 2023 short film competition, Laurence Boyce highlighted in Cineuropa "the rawness and despair (of the film), balanced out by a vein of genuine tenderness in this evocation of friendship and the need to escape",[5] whereas Marina Richter said Aunque es de noche "leaves a deep impression on viewers with its richness of imagery, authentic dialogues and life-near situations".[6]

Since its world premiere, the film has been selected in over 75 festivals and academies around the world, including:[7]

Year Festivals Award/Category Status
2023 Cannes Film Festival[8] Palme d'Or - Best Short Film Nominated
San Sebastian International Film Festival[9] Zabalteigi-Tabakalera Nominated
Abycine[10] Best Short Film Won
2024
Goya Awards[11] Best Fiction Short[12] Won
Vienna Shorts[13] Best International Short Nominated
Go Short[14] Best International Short Nominated
HollyShorts Best International Film Nominated
In the Palace Film Festival[15][16] Special Mention for Best International Short Won

Sleepless City

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A feature adapted from the short, currently titled Ciudad sin Sueño (Sleepless City) and also directed by Guillermo García López,[17] is currently in preparation and is scheduled to be released in 2025.

References

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  1. ^ "AUNQUE ES DE NOCHE (MALGRÉ LA NUIT)". Festival de Cannes. May 26, 2023.
  2. ^ "Aunque es de noche » Premios Goya 2024". www.premiosgoya.com.
  3. ^ "A Looming Loss". 13 May 2024.
  4. ^ "30 Best Short Films of 2023". 27 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Realist tropes clash with a sense of the surreal in the Cannes Short Film Competition". 24 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Cannes review: Aunque Es de Noche (2023)". 27 May 2023.
  7. ^ SASTRE, ELISA MANRIQUE (February 4, 2024). "El cine ilumina la oscuridad de la Cañada Real con el cortometraje 'Aunque es de noche'". RTVE.es.
  8. ^ Richter, Marina D. (May 27, 2023). "Cannes review: Aunque Es De Noche (2023)".
  9. ^ "'Aunque es de noche', un corto que ilumina los más de 1.000 días oscuros de la Cañada Real". Energías Renovables, el periodismo de las energías limpias. October 1, 2023.
  10. ^ https://www.cultura.gob.es/en/cultura/areas/cine/contenedora-noticias/2023/octubre/abycine-2023.html
  11. ^ Jones, Sam (February 9, 2024). "Film about children living in darkness on Madrid's doorstep up for award". The Guardian.
  12. ^ Hopewell, John (February 11, 2024). "Spain's Goya Awards: J.A. Bayona's 'Society of the Snow' Wins Best Picture, Director as Sigourney Weaver Receives an International Goya".
  13. ^ Putman, Niels (January 2, 2021). "Vienna Shorts". Talking Shorts.
  14. ^ "Go Short - International Short Film Festival Nijmegen". 19 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Award Winners at 21st IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival". www.bta.bg.
  16. ^ "IN THE PALACE Awards". inthepalace.com. July 7, 2024.
  17. ^ Cabeza2023-09-22T07:50:00+01:00, Elisabet. "Spain Stars of Tomorrow 2023: Guillermo Garcia Lopez (director/writer)". Screen.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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