La substància
Lluís Galter
Spain, Switzerland | 2016 | 86 min
International Premiere
Languages : Catalan, Spanish, Mandarin, Chinese, English
Subtitles : English, French
In Xiamen, in eastern China, a copy of Cadaqués, Salvador Dalì’s village, has been constructed. Built in a foggy bay, the replica of the original village is embellished with towers, all with a view, in order to welcome the many people wishing to enjoy the attractions of the gigantic building complex. Tingting, a young business woman is one of them. In search of calm, authenticity, and simplicity, she has bought an apartment in tower number 6. Harassed by her work, she finds refuge there, over a weekend, in one of the show apartments. But everything is empty, cold, artificial, boring…
We lose ourselves, little by little, in the editing that moves back and forth between archive footage, charming images of the Costa Brava and those of China today, the night, the bars, the modern interiors, international, soulless... It all blends together: original or copy? Dream of the future or present moment? Fiction or reality? On screen, the earth, the little streets, the plantations are the same but can the spell cast by Cadaqués really be reproduced?
Madeline Robert
