‘Un amor’: This is how Isabel Coixet filmed the adaptation of the novel by Sara Mesa

Sara Mesa has conquered thousands of readers with her novel ‘Un amor’, published in 2020. The plot introduces us to Nat, a thirty-year-old woman who has moved to La Escapa, a small rural town. She will soon begin to have conflicts with her landlord as with the rented house, a building in ruins. In this precarious environment, this young woman tries to rebuild her life again. After facing hostility from her landlord and mistrust from the townspeople, Nat finds herself accepting a disturbing sexual proposition from her neighbor Andreas. From this strange and confusing encounter emerges an all-consuming and obsessive passion that will consume Nat completely and make her question the kind of woman she believes herself to be.

The writer’s disturbing, natural and transparent narrative has captivated many, and it was not surprising that it would soon have an audiovisual adaptation and it has been so.. In February it was announced that director Isabel Coixet would adapt Mesa’s novel with Laia Costa and Hovik Keuchkerian as main characters.

Yesterday the filming of the film concluded whose script is in charge of Coixet herself and the writer, journalist and screenwriter Laura Ferrero. The filming of the film has taken place over five and a half weeks in locations in La Rioja such as Nalda, Ribafrecha and Villalobar.

A cast committed to the director

Costa, winner of the Goya for best actress in the recent edition for ‘Cinco Lobitos’, captivated international critics for her work in the German film ‘Victoria’. This is his second job with Coixet after starring in ‘Foodie Love’, the series created and directed by the writer and director for HBO). For his part, Hovik Keuchkerian, awarded for his starring work in the series ‘Antidisturbios’ by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, is known for his participation in the popular series ‘La casa de papel’. He has just finished filming the long-awaited ‘Red Queen’ and on the big screen he has been seen in ‘Rainbow’, ‘Assasin’s Creed’ or ‘Alacrán enamorado’.

Laia Costa couldn’t be happier to have been immersed in this project”We have experienced an intense creative process, hand in hand with Isabel and her inexhaustible spring of magic and nuances.a dedicated team, full of talent, taking care of each other, and a very important element: La Rioja, which, beyond the stage, has been a home”. For his part, his co-star Hovik Keuchkerian has been more precise: ” You have asked me for a brief assessment in four lines of what filming Un amor has meant for me, I will have three left over: Working with Isabel Coixet is simply inspiring“.

They complete the deal Hugo Silva (‘My big night’, ‘Passing Lies’, ‘The Ministry of Time’ or ‘Paco’s Men”), Luis Bermejo (‘Magical girl’, ‘Rainbow’ or ‘While the war lasts’), Ingrid Garcia-Jonsson (‘Beautiful Youth’; ‘Explode Explode’, or ‘Venicephrenia’) and Francesco Lane (‘You have to come see her’, ‘The Virgin of August’ or ‘The deluded’, among other titles).

Recognized with the National Cinematography Award and with the Chevalier des artes et des lettres Medal from the French Ministry of Culture, Coixet has received numerous Goya nominations and awards, among many other awards, including the Goya for best film for ‘La librería’ or ‘La vida secreta de las palabras’.for which he also won the Best Director award.

women’s team

In the technical section, Bet Rourich has been in charge of the photo direction. Coixet once again coincides with professionals with whom he has already worked, such as Eva Taboada (production management); Uxua Castelló (art direction); Jordi Azategui (editing); Albert Gay (sound); Suevia Sampelayo (costumes), or Ainhoa ​​Eskisabel (makeup). On this occasion, Izaskun Macua Ruiz has been in charge of the hairdressing salon.

This film has counted on the team with a total of 246 people between actors and technicians, having 80% women. ‘Un amor’ is a production by Marisa Fernández Armenteros for Buenapinta Media (producer of the winner of the recent edition of the Goya Awards ‘Cinco lobitos’ or the Oscar nominee ‘El agente topo’), Sandra Hermida and Belén Atienza for Perdición Films (Hermida and Atienza have in their filmography such successful Spanish titles as ‘The Orphanage’ or ‘The Impossible’ among others, and the long-awaited ‘The Snow Society’ by JA Bayona is pending release) and MONTE GLAUCO AIE with the participation of RTVE, TV3, MOVISTAR PLUS+, the ICAA and the Government of La Rioja.

The film will be distributed in Spain by Bteam Picturesthe producer and distributor that has in its filmography some of the successes of recent years in Spanish cinema: there are ‘Cinco lobitos’, ‘La Maternal’, ‘Mantícora’, ‘Las niñas’ or ‘20,000 species of bees’ , a film that has won the Biznaga de Oro for Best Film at the Malaga Festival.