Alegría

Q&As with director Violeta Salama and actor Cecilia Suárez

Violeta Salama makes her moving and wise feature debut with this layered, comic-tinged drama about women breaking free from patriarchal tradition in a contemporary Jewish diasporic community. Set in Melilla, an autonomous, multicultural Spanish city on Africa’s north coast, the film centers on Alegría (Cecilia Suárez), a single mother who has returned to her hometown from Mexico for her niece Yael’s Orthodox Jewish wedding, although Alegría does not acknowledge her own Jewish heritage. Salama’s film sensitively depicts Alegría coming to terms with her roots and the cultural past she has rejected, while reconnecting with family and friends. It features a standout performance from Suárez and a gorgeous evocation of a fascinating and beautiful corner of the world not often seen on-screen.