Before Opening Night

A couple of artists live with their daughter, away from the city and far from the cultural circuit, a fact that nonetheless doesn’t tone down the heated conversations they have regarding their creative work. Juana is an actress incapable of separating life from work, and a play she works in and is very important for her career is about to open. Roman is a film director suffering from writer’s block who scribbles pages on the script of his next film. With equal amounts of Woody Allen’s nervous comedy and Cassavetes’ melodramatic roller coaster, this storm of egos and self-esteems that takes place on a decisive weekend features Lila –the couple’s daughter– as a mirror that reflects her parents’ frustrations and joys. Fueled by powerful performances by Erica Rivas and Nahuel Mutti, Antes del estreno is a lively proof of the precision and economy in Giralt’s cinema, where all the elements seem to be commanded by a narrative conscience unwilling to stop moving forward. –Mar del Plata International Film Festival