Stars: Ana Fernandez, Maria Galiana, Juan Fernandez, Carlos Alvarez-Novoa, Antonio Dechant, Angel Fernandez, Paco de Osca

Director: Benito Zambrano

Summary: The story of Maria, who moves to the country to get away from her strict father. She gets pregnant and is then abadoned by her boyfriend... Spanish dialogue with subtitles.

Like Satyajit Ray's APARAJITO or Yasujiro Ozu's TOKYO STORY, director Benito Zambrono's SOLAS is a quiet, realistic film that examines relationships between parents and children, the decline of traditional values, and urban anomie. While waiting for her husband to recover in a hospital, a mother (Maria Galiana) stays with her estranged daughter, Maria (Ana Fernandez), who fled her parents rural home in Andalusia because she could no longer bear her father's abusiveness and her mother's passivity. As the daughter struggles to find dignity in her job and her relationships with men, her mother quietly tries to brighten the life of her daughter and an elderly neighbor with only a dog for a companion. Gradually, Maria realizes that behind her mother's passivity is a strength and compassion that is rare in modern Spain. SOLAS, which means alone, is a low-budget film using little-known actors; it's strong and moving, however, with emotionally wrenching performances from the entire cast. Setting a high standard with his feature-film debut, Zambrano suggests that the solution to loneliness and poverty lies in remembering how to care for others.

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Lauded in its native Spain on its release, Benito Zambrano's Solasis a touching portrayal of loneliness and redemption. At its centre is the strained relationship between Maria and her mother Rosa, brought together by Maria's estranged father's illness. Rosa (brilliantly played by Maria Galiana) not only discovers a world very different from her village existence but also finds her daughter's life in disarray--racked with frustration, bitterness and fuelled by alcohol. As the film develops, the two find their relationship not only beginning to grow but also influenced by the arrival of their elderly neighbour, played by Carlos Álvarez Novoa. All three find a new purpose to their lives and, while students of feminism may find Maria's path a little debatable, Ana Fernádez brings the audience on her journey in heart touching fashion. The darkness of tone throughout only makes the subsequent brightness all the more blinding and the result is without doubt a deeply moving piece of cinema. --Phil Udell

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	Spanish
Region:	Region 0
Special Features:	Theatrical Trailer, Production Notes, Filmographies
Subtitles:	English
Year:	1998
Release Date:	December 26, 2001
Runtime:	97 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	A R T 208 D V D
Keywords:	Subtitled, General, Wide, Screen, Spanish, Drama, Solas
Genre:	Drama