An Unexpected Love to open San Sebastian

Producer Juan Vera makes directorial debut

by Amber Wilkinson

Mercedes Morán and Ricardo Darín in An Unexpected Love, which will open San Sebastian
Mercedes Morán and Ricardo Darín in An Unexpected Love, which will open San Sebastian Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival

Argentinian film An Unexpected Love (El Amor Menos Pensado) has been announced as the opening film for this year's San Sebastian Film Festival. The film, which will vie for the Golden Shell in competition at the 66th edition of the festival, marks the directorial debut of Juan Vera, who has previously co-produced films including Zama and Carancho.

The film stars Mercedes Morán and Ricardo Darín as a couple who are facing a relationship crisis after 25 years of marriage.

Darín is a long-time attender of the festival and was awarded the Donostia for lifetime achievement last year. Morán also appears in The Angel, which screens in the festival's Pearls section.

The festival has also announced the full slate of the Muriel Box retrospective. It will feature all 28 films written and directed by the Surrey-born filmmaker, whose work often featured taboo subjects, including child abuse, abortion and adolescent sex.

Films screening include The Seventh Veil, The Beachcomber, Simon And Laura and Rattle Of A Simple Man.

After its screening in San Sebastian, the retrospective will run during October and November at Filmoteca Española in Madrid, at Lumière Festival in Lyon and at Filmoteca of the Instituto Valencià de Cultura.

The festival runs from September 21 to 29. Read more about the titles announced for this year's festival here

Share this with others on...
News

A heroine of the people Avid Liongoren on the Filipino animation industry and Zsazsa Zaturnnah

The girl who didn't want to be happy Julien Birban Levy on the spirit of Seoul and getting inside the head of Niko

Spirit of the art Takeru Shinozuka and Yoshihide Moriyama on animation and Foxing: Kitsuné-Tsuki

Colouring outside the lines Harrison Atkins on guerilla filmmaking, expanding options in cinema, and Sour Minnows

The yearning Corrin Evans, Lily Cowles, Jeff Wahlberg and Michael Vlamis on Corpus

Levelling up Saïd Boumazoughe and Bob Colaers about Attack On Paradise

More news and features

Interact

Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.


It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest:


San Sebastian Leigh, Naishtat and Larraín among those joining line-up


Fantasia Nighborn is Cheval Noir Best Film; full list of award winners announced


Frightfest Full line-up announced


Sarajevo Festival to honour Asghar Farhadi and present tribute programme


Locarno Juries announced