Olmo and The Seagull

Olmo and The Seagull

Olmo and The Seagull

2015, Denmark, Brazil, Portugal, France, Sweden, 82', Petra Costa, Lea Glob

Synopsis

A journey through the labyrinth of a woman’s mind, OLMO AND THE SEAGULL tells the story of Olivia, a free-spirited stage actress preparing for a starring role as Arkadina in a theatrical production of Chekhov’s The Seagull. As the play starts to take shape, Olivia and her boyfriend, Serge, whom she first met on the stage of theTheatre du Soleil, discover she is pregnant.

Initially, she thinks she can have it all, until an unexpected setback threatens her pregnancy and brings her life to a standstill. Olivia’s desire for freedom and success clashes with the limits imposed by her own body and the baby growing inside her. The months of her pregnancy unfold as a rite of passage, forcing the actress to confront her deepest fears. She looks in the mirror and sees both female characters of The Seagull – Arkadina, the aging actress, and Nina, the actress that falls into madness – as unsettling reflections of herself.

The film takes a further twist when what appears to be acted is revealed as life itself. This portrait of the creative process invites us to question what is real, what is imagined, and what we celebrate and sacrifice in life.

Festival del Film Locarno -Junior Jury Award for Best film, Best Documentary at Rio Film Festival, Special Mention (Jury Award) for Directors - International Film Critics Week, Wind Up Fest, Camden, Viennale - Vienna International Film Festival, Sao Paolo International Film Festival, Sevilla Festival de Cine Europeo, Cork Film Festival, Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montreal - RIDM, Festival Internacional del nuevo cine latinoamericano, Costa Rica International Film Festival, Documental Ambulante, Punto de Vista, Intl Film Festival of Navarra, Women's Film Festival of Brattleboro, International Film Festival Kino PAVASARIS, Femina, Festival Internacional de cine femenino, Film Days Documentary Film Festivals, FESTIVAL CINEMATOGRÁFICO INTERNACIONAL DEL URUGUAY (Uruguay), RiverRun International Film Festival, Docs Against Gravity, Fidadoc, Ambulante Film Festival, Open City Film Festival, FIDBA Buenos Aires, International Documentary Film Festival, Yerevan International Film Festival, Golden Apricot, Esperanza Film Festival, Anûû-rû âboro
Olmo and The Seagull Poster