EUFF 2022: Carmen

Malta/Canada | Valerie Buhagiar | 2021 | 87 min

Carmen (Natascha McElhone) finds, at 50, a surprising new life through the oddest circumstances in this sun-drenched, ’80s-set magical realist tale. In her small Maltese village, Carmen has looked after her brother, the local priest, for her entire life. Unmarried and alone, her cloistered life is shattered when her brother dies. The church abandons Carmen, casting her out of the official residence where she served her brother, but some in the village believe that she is to become the new priest. Through a series of whimsical events where she takes on a pseudo-priestly role, Carmen begins to see the world, and herself, in a new light. Carmen is a delightful, hopeful film that demonstrates it’s never too late for reinvention.

“The performances are warm and wonderful, and the scenery is postcard-perfect … A long-lost paradise where an ancient custom gets an updated retelling.”

Chris Knight, National Post