Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea

Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea (Spanish: Mediterráneo) is a 2021 Spanish-Greek drama film directed by Marcel Barrena, which stars Eduard Fernández, Dani Rovira, Anna Castillo, Sergi López, Àlex Monner and Melika Foroutan. It was theatrically released in Spain on 1 October 2021.

Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea
Poster
SpanishMediterráneo
Directed byMarcel Barrena
Written by
  • Marcel Barrena
  • Danielle Schleif
Starring
CinematographyKiko de la Rica
Music byArnau Bataller
Production
companies
  • Lastor Media
  • Fasten Films
  • Arcadia Motion Pictures
  • Cados Producciones
  • Heretic
Distributed byDeAPlaneta
Release date
  • 1 October 2021 (2021-10-01) (Spain)
Running time
112 minutes
Countries
  • Spain
  • Greece
LanguageSpanish
Box office$487,719>[1]

Premise

Initially set in 2015,[2] the plot consists of a dramatization of the genesis of the Open Arms rescue vessel by Òscar Camps. Moved by the image of a child drowned in the sea, two lifeguards travel to Lesbos, Greece.[3] They proceed to set a rescue team to help people in need.[3]

Cast

Production

Produced by Lastor Media, Fasten Films, Arcadia Motion Pictures, Cados Producciones and Heretic, with the participation of RTVE, Movistar+ and TVC, funding from the ICAA and the ICEC, and support from Creative Europe's MEDIA Programme.[7] The film was directed by Marcel Barrena, whereas its screenplay was co-written by Barrena alongside Danielle Schleif.[8] Kiko de la Rica was responsible for the cinematography.[8] The score was composed by Arnau Bataller.[9]

Shooting began on 4 September 2020.[10] After shooting in Greece and Barcelona for 8 weeks, filming wrapped on 26 October 2020.[11]

Release

Distributed by DeAPlaneta, the film was theatrically released in Spain on 1 October 2021.[12]

Reception

Critical response

Toni Vall of Cinemanía gave it 3½ out of 5 stars, considering that "the story is skilful, engaging, the image is impeccable, very solid".[13]

Blai Morell of Fotogramas rated it with 4 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be a "more than effective story that stirs consciences about a tragic reality", highlighting the trio of performances by Fernández Castillo and Rovira, while citing as negative points both some decisions vis-à-vis the mise-en-scène as well as the circumstance that the character performed by Monner ends up becoming somewhat blurred.[14]

Quim Casas of El Periódico de Catalunya scored 2 out of 5 stars, considering that the film turn outs to be the "chronicle of an awareness-raising and ethical discovery" and also that Barrena minimizes some real tensions.[15]

Deeming the film to be a "stirring factually-based drama", Wendy Ide of ScreenDaily considered that Eduard Fernández (as well as the film itself) is "most compelling in the sequences which depict the jagged terrors and the sheer grinding exhaustion of the maritime rescues".[5] She also noted that the story was "a rather Eurocentric" chronicle of the crisis.[5]

It was shortlisted to be the Spanish submission to the 94th Academy Awards alongside Parallel Mothers and The Good Boss, but the latter film was eventually selected.[16]

Accolades
Year Award CategoryNominee(s) ResultRef.
202127th Forqué AwardsBest Fiction or Animation PictureNominated[17]
Best Film ActorEduard FernándezNominated
Cinema and Education in ValuesNominated
20229th Feroz AwardsBest Actor (film)Eduard FernándezNominated[18]
77th CEC MedalsBest ActorEduard FernándezNominated[19]
36th Goya AwardsBest FilmNominated[20][21]
Best ActorEduard FernándezNominated
Best Original Song"Te espera el mar" by María José LlergoWon
Best Original ScoreArnau BatallerNominated
Best CinematographyKiko de la RicaWon
Best Special EffectsNominated
Best Production SupervisionAlbert Espel, Kostas SfakianakisWon
9th Platino AwardsBest CinematographyKiko de la RicaWon[22]

See also

References
  1. "Mediterraneo (2021)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  2. Casas, Quim (30 September 2021). "Crítica de 'Mediterráneo': la magnitud de la tragedia". El Periódico.
  3. "'Mediterráneo': Cartel, en primicia, de la película que retrata el nacimiento de Open Arms". Fotogramas. 2 June 2021.
  4. Serch, Laia; Izquierdo, Agus (5 October 2021). "El Mediterrani com a fossa comuna". Núvol.
  5. Ide, Wendy (5 November 2021). "'Mediterraneo': Thessaloniki Review". ScreenDaily.
  6. "'Mediterráneo' – estreno en cines 1 de octubre". Audiovisual451. 27 September 2021.
  7. "Arranca en Grecia el rodaje de 'Mediterráneo', dirigida por Marcel Barrena". Audiovisual451. 4 September 2020.
  8. Morell, Blai (30 September 2021). "Crítica de 'Mediterráneo'". Fotogramas.
  9. Lombardo, Manuel J. (2 October 2021). "Dramatizar el drama". Diario de Sevilla.
  10. "Mediterráneo". Academia de Cine. 28 October 2020.
  11. "Concluye el rodaje de la coproducción de España y Grecia 'Mediterráneo', dirigida por Marcel Barrena". 28 October 2020.
  12. Silvestre, Juan (5 October 2021). "Los próximos estrenos de la cartelera". Fotogramas.
  13. Vall, Toni (28 September 2021). "Crítica de 'Mediterráneo'". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
  14. Morell, Blai (30 September 2021). "Crítica de 'Mediterráneo'". Fotogramas.
  15. Casas, Quim (30 September 2021). "Crítica de 'Mediterráneo': la magnitud de la tragedia". El Periódico de Catalunya.
  16. Cabanelas, Lucía M. (5 October 2021). "La Academia aparta a Almodóvar y confía los Oscar a 'El buen patrón' de León de Aranoa". abcplay. ABC.
  17. Rebolledo, Matías G. (11 December 2021). "Lista completa de ganadores de los Premios Forqué 2021". La Razón.
  18. "Palmarés completo de los Premios Feroz Zaragoza 2022". Cinemanía. 30 January 2022 – via 20minutos.es.
  19. "'El amor en su lugar' arrasa en las Medallas CEC con hasta seis premios, todos los principales". Cine con Ñ. 10 February 2022.
  20. Silvestre, Juan (12 December 2021). "Premios Goya 2022: 'El buen patrón' y 'Maixabel' arrasan en las nominacione". Fotogramas.
  21. Hopewell, John; Mayorga, Emilio (12 February 2022). "Javier Bardem, 'The Good Boss' Top Spain's 2022 Goya Awards". Variety.
  22. Mayorga, Emilio (1 May 2022). "Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz Win Prizes as 'The Good Boss' and 'The Kingdom' Sweep Platino Awards". Variety.
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