ALBA
Ecuador, 2016
Spanish with English subtitles | 96 min
Director/Writer: Ana Cristina Barragán

Tuesday, Aug 29
5:00 PM | The Cinematheque 
Saturday, Sep 2
3:15 PM | The Cinematheque 

When eleven-year-old Alba’s mother is hospitalized for a prolonged illness, Alba is sent to live with her father—a man she has never really known. Igor is a quiet, solitary soul who shut himself away in a small house after separating from his family. This new life for the extremely shy Alba and her socially reserved father is almost unbearable for both of them. Her father’s misguided attempts to make her feel at home and the embarrassment this causes, along with her first kiss and bullying at school, all mark Alba’s path towards adolescence and self-acceptance. This quietly poignant film exquisitely captures the sometimes rocky and lonely experience of childhood.

“The claim of Ecuadorian cinema to a higher international profile is strengthened considerably by Ana Cristina Barragan’s beautifully understated Alba.” Jonathan Holland, The Hollywood Reporter

Cuando su mamá enferma es hospitalizada, Alba, una niña de 11 años, debe ir a vivir con su padre, Igor. Igor es un hombre solitario que después de separarse de su familia se encerró en una casa pequeña. La convivencia para Alba, una niña introvertida y tímida, es casi insoportable. Los intentos de su padre por acercarse a ella y la vergüenza que aquello le causa, junto a su primer beso y el bullying en el colegio, son estímulos que marcan el camino de Alba hacia la adolescencia y a la aceptación de sí misma.

Ana Cristina Barragán (Ecuador, 1987) has directed three award-winning short films: Despierta (2008), which won Best Short Film at the Cero Latitud and Andes Festivals, and the Colibri Award for Best Ecuadorian Short Film, Domingo violeta (2010) and Anima (2013). Her first feature film, Alba (2016), won the Lions Film Award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival.

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