– The actress, who has been all the rage since Pedro Almodóvar gave her a leading role in Parallel mothers, directs the cast of this social drama with a trashy aesthetic
Actresses Olivia Baglivi and Milena Smit on the set of Libelulas
Olivia baglivi and Milena Smit play Álex and Cata respectively in this story of friendship: they were born and raised on the outskirts, a desolate hinterland full of empty shops and dilapidated bars, surrounded by mountains where their dreams resonate and eventually vanish, and where beauty is only an illusion. They have spent their entire lives planning their escape, looking for a safe passage to escape their present and be able to forget their past. This is the story of Libelulas (bed. “Dragonflies“), the first feature film of Luc Knowles, whose shooting has just ended, taking place in Madrid and Segovia for 24 days.
One of its stars, Milena Smit, is the real golden girl of the moment, having been hired by Pedro Almodóvar to star alongside Penélope Cruz and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón in Parallel mothers [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile], the feature film which will have the honor of opening the imminent Venice Film Festival a few days before its Spanish theatrical release, scheduled for September 10 (read the news). However, before that, Smit outdid herself as a sleazy and sexy Mila in the movie. Crossing the line [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Victori
film profile], crowned by Mario Casas and directed by David Victori, for which she landed a Goya nomination (for best new actress). Right now, the promising spectator is immersed in the set for Pewter and Tina, the first feature by Rubin Stein, alongside Jaime Lorente (read the news).
For her part, the lesser known – at least for now – Olivia Baglivi, who previously worked with the director of Libelulas on the music video for “Wondering”, on which this film is based, stood out among the cast of Ramón Luque Rosalinda [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. Additionally, she starred – along with Marta Hazas and María Pedraza – in Jota Linares’ new release for Netflix, Crystal girls; she made an appearance in Zoe Berriatúa’s film Heroes of evil [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]; and she has been involved in shows like Elite, Drug Squad: Costa del Sol and Cuéntame cómo pasó.
According to his production company, Libelulas – which boasts a screenplay written by the director himself – delves into the daily lives of the two main characters, their families and their circle of friends, in the weeks leading up to Alex’s departure. The money they saved, the drugs they stole and a betrayal will explode the lives of the girls, with the delicate theft of these “dragonflies” upset by strong turbulence.
Born to a Spanish father and an English mother, Luc Knowles grew up in Madrid and Alicante. A graduate in sociology from the UA and subsequently obtaining a master’s degree in film studies at UWE, he began his audiovisual career making music videos for artists such as John Vermont, Reyko, Fernando Costa, Follone and Oddliquor, then bringing his aesthetic and narrative prowess to the world of advertising, where he has worked for agencies of the caliber of Mccan, Ogilvy, Lola, & Rosas, Double You, Casanova, DDB, Equipo Singular and BBDO, and clients such as Xiaomi, Vogue, Nike, Axa, Martin Codax, Cortefiel, Airbnb and Toyota. Libelulas, a social drama with a trashy aesthetic, is his first feature film.
Libelulas – whose casting is completed by Javi collado and Rakel Brel – is an independent production of Clapham Films (Lavapies).
(Translated from Spanish)
Comments are closed.