Magnificent US Trailer for Víctor Erice’s ‘Close Your Eyes’ Spanish Film
by Alex Billington
June 27, 2024
Source: YouTube
“I lost my best friend, but I also lost my movie.” Film Movement has revealed the official US trailer for an exceptionally great Spanish indie film titled Close Your Eyes, the first feature film in more than 30 years from an acclaimed Spanish filmmaker named Víctor Erice (The Spirit of the Beehive). It first premiered last year at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, though only out of competition despite being such a strong film that many said should’ve been in competition. After playing at festivals all over the world all last year, FM will debut Close Your Eyes in limited US theaters end of August to start. A reflective culmination of Erice’s career in film, Close Your Eyes is a haunting meditation on memory, absence, and the enduring resonance of the moving image. A Spanish actor disappears during the filming of a movie. Although he is never found, the police believe he went off a cliff. Years later, the mystery returns to the present day as the director starts looking for him. Starring Manolo Solo as Miguel, with Jose Coronado, Ana Torrent, María León, and Helena Miquel. I saw this film last year at PÖFF and it’s extraordinary. An unforgettable ode to cinema on the level of Cinema Paradiso. A must watch whenever it is showing in your area soon – don’t miss this film.
Here’s the official US trailer (+ poster) for Víctor Erice’s film Close Your Eyes, direct from YouTube:
Set in contemporary Madrid, an aging filmmaker named Miguel Garay (Manolo Solo) is called upon to recount his memories of working on his final and still unfinished film, titled The Farewell Gaze. During its production, the lead actor and Miguel’s close friend, Julio Arenas, disappeared without a trace, leaving in his wake a mystery that would haunt the lives of everyone associated with the film. Miguel never directed another project, instead living a quiet life as a writer by the coast. He remained reluctant to unravel the mystery surrounding Julio until approached by an investigative television program reviving the case decades later. With careful reflection, he reconnects with the film’s crew, former lovers, and even Julio’s daughter, seeking real closure for the disappearance and what it meant for all of their lives then and now.
Close Your Eyes is directed by beloved Spanish filmmaker Víctor Erice, director of the films The Spirit of the Beehive, The South, and Dream of Light previously. The screenplay is written by Víctor Erice and Michel Gaztambide, from a story by Víctor Erice. Produced by Jose Alba, Odile Antonio-Baez, Agustín Bossi, Pablo E. Bossi, Pol Bossi, Víctor Erice, Maximiliano Lasansky, and Cristina Zumárraga. This initially premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival last year in their Cannes Premiere section. It also played at TIFF, NYFF, Afi Fest, London, Tallinn Black Nights, Torino, and many others. Film Movement will release Erice’s Close Your Eyes in select US theaters (NY & LA at first) starting August 23rd, 2024. For more, visit their official site.
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