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After

Alfred Rodrigues
Spain / 2009 / 116 min / Spanish with English subtitles

The lives of Manuel (Tristán Ulloa), Ana (Blanca Romero) and Julio (Guillermo Toledo), friends since adolescence, are a fraud. They are in their late 30’s, have achieved everything that brings happiness, according to our society, yet are in desperate search for a solution to their immense loneliness and dissatisfaction. Their paths cross in a warm summer night after not having seen each other for some time, and they initiate a trip towards the heart of the night: sex, drugs, alcohol and excess; an escape towards adolescence as the only way to avoid reality. After is the last stop, the last open bar… the end of the journey. With After, filmmaker Alberto Rodríguez (7 Virgins) compellingly portrays three people fervently, desperately seeking connection. The film displays superb performances by its ensemble cast: renowned Spanish actors Guillermo Toledo (The Two Sides of the Bed) and Tristán Ulloa (Sex and Lucía), along with the debutant Blanca Romero.

After co-directing The Pilgrim Factor alongside Santi Amodeo, Alberto’s first solo feature (The Suit) was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival. With 7 Virgins, Alberto Rodríguez earned recognition as one of the most interesting young director/writers in Spanish cinema. The film participated in the San Sebastian International Film Festival where it won the Silver Shell and received six nominations to the Goya Awards.