MAGICAL GIRL

Director Carlos Vermut / 2014 / Spain

"A darkly intriguing, expertly composed and elegantly austere moral fable … entirely assured." – Hollywood Reporter

Stricken with leukaemia, 12-year-old Alicia's dying wish is to wear the dress of her favourite anime character. Desperate to fulfil her dream, her unemployed father Luis crosses paths with wealthy housewife Barbara and retired teacher Damien, plunging all three into a world of blackmail and duplicity.

A triptych of chance encounters set against the backdrop of the Spanish recession, Magical Girl marks the second feature from filmmaker Carlos Vermut. His highly stylised noir thriller not only follows in the footsteps of Luis Buñuel, but also proves reminiscent of the work of Michael Haneke and Yorgos Lanthimos in its delirious embrace of the imaginative and the unnerving.

Winner of the Golden Shell for Best Film and Silver Shell for Best Director at the 2014 San Sebastián International Film Festival.

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