We take for granted the forces that shape our collective reality and the invisible hands manipulating our thoughts and opinions. The late Timothy Bell was a veteran of the British advertising world, most famous for being the favourite spin doctor and confidante of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Produced with the participation of Bell himself, Influence takes a look behind the curtain to analyse the man who pulled the strings, and charts the eventual fall from grace of his controversial PR firm, Bell Pottinger.
Influence is an ambitious exploration of perceptual manipulation and the malleability of truth in a world where 2+2 can equal 5 if you construct a narrative to make it so.
Lis is a teenage girl who dreams of leaving her hometown to become a circus artist. Her parents (the wonderful Sergi López and Laia Marull) are good people, but not especially in tune with the needs and desires of their young daughter.
The transition from innocence to adulthood is portrayed magnificently by lead actress, Carmen Arrufat, who was nominated for a prestigious Goya award for her role.
Lucía Alemany’s debut feature is part autobiographical, and has that remarkable precision of detail that makes a familiar story feel fresh and unique.
This stylish thriller begins with a distinct Agatha Christie vibe, à la And Then There Were None, before delving into the dark unravelling's of a well-to-do urbanite family holidaying on a remote Chilean island. After the man who brought them there disappears, they are left without comforts, facing only each other and their internal beasts, exposing sexual assault and emotional cruelty.
Director Jorge Riquelme Serrano won the New Directors Award at last year’s San Sebastián International Film Festival. His poised and increasingly claustrophobic drama will draw you in and keep you hooked.
