Rendezvous with Cinema. Alegría
Set in Melilla, an autonomous city of Spain situated on the north coast of Africa, Violeta Salama’s debut feature “Alegría”,
The heartfelt family drama centers around Alegría – curt matriarch and host to her niece’s upcoming wedding – and the varied relationships with the women in her orbit. “Alegría” stars Mexican actress Cecilia Suárez (“The House of Flowers,” “3 Caminos”), whose aplomb and comic timing anchors a film filled with familial chaos and clashing traditions.
Salama co-wrote with Isa Sánchez, drawing from the director’s own experiences growing up in Melilla. Indeed, “Alegría” plays at once as homage to a city whose vivid contrasts and blended culture perfectly reflects the contour of the characters’ interconnected dramas. The women of “Alegría” paint a mural of strength, love, courage, compassion and trust, and at last show their bond is unbounded, finding the self in selflessness.