Rara
Directed by
Pepa San Martín

Since their parents split up, Sara and her younger sister live with their mother, whose new partner is a woman. Everyday life for the four of them is very similar than it is for other families. The situation is actually totally fine with Sara. But not everyone sees it that way – her father in particular has his doubts. As Sara’s 13th birthday approaches, she feels rather overwhelmed: her first crush, her body is starting to change and to top it all off, conflicts over loyalty with her parents… Everything feels wrong.
- "Wonderfully light of touch, full of well-observed human detail and even-handedly compassionate, this richly human film is full of the quieter values and is topped off by an assured performance of great maturity by the young Julia Lubbert as the teen, Sara, whose moving tale this really is."
- "A delight to watch, Rara takes its time to present a complex family full of three-dimensional characters."
- "A great script and firm direction get the best performances possible from the whole cast."
- "An accomplished first feature, director/co-scenarist Pepa San Martin’s finely observed tale finds that loose lips can still sink ships, as the pubescent heroine’s casual fibbing to divorced parents endangers the existence of the “two mommies” home she inhabits with her mother and a lesbian partner. The performances are impressively naturalistic, not least the juvenile ones. Likewise, the overall assembly is clean and simple, but possessed of a certain elegant confidence."
- "In a film full of excellent performances, in which characters say one thing and do another – sometimes simultaneously – it is the young actresses who stand out with brilliant performances. Rara is strongest when showing how the innocence of the younger characters shines through the many homophobic reactions to the mother’s relationship; uncorrupted, they see love for what it is, and do not see how this could affect her love or parenting."
Awards & Recognition
Winner
Grand Prix Generation Kplus Jury Prize
Berlin Int'l. Film Festival
Grand Prix Generation Kplus Jury Prize
Berlin Int'l. Film Festival
Winner
Horizons Award
San Sebastián Int'l. Film Festival
Horizons Award
San Sebastián Int'l. Film Festival
Winner
Best Latin American Film
San Sebastián Int'l. Film Festival
Best Latin American Film
San Sebastián Int'l. Film Festival
Winner
Únete de las Naciones Unidas
Havana Film Festival
Únete de las Naciones Unidas
Havana Film Festival
Winner
Special Jury Prize
Havana Film Festival
Special Jury Prize
Havana Film Festival
Winner
Audience Award
Queer Lisboa - Festival Internacional de Cinema Queer
Audience Award
Queer Lisboa - Festival Internacional de Cinema Queer
Winner
Jury Prize - Best Actress
Queer Lisboa - Festival Internacional de Cinema Queer
Jury Prize - Best Actress
Queer Lisboa - Festival Internacional de Cinema Queer
Official Selection
Seattle Int'l. Film Festival
Seattle Int'l. Film Festival
Official Selection
Palm Springs Film Festival
Palm Springs Film Festival