Between Sea and Land

Between Sea and Land

WINNER: AUDIENCE AWARD & BEST ACTING AWARD - SUNDANCE 2016 / WORLD DRAMATIC SECTION
WORLD PREMIERE: SUNDANCE 2016 / WORLD DRAMATIC SECTION

BETWEEN SEA AND LAND is a breathtaking tour de force from Actor and Writer Manolo Cruz. The film, set on a small inlet adjacent to the Caribbean Sea in Colombia, tells the moving story of 28year old Alberto and his mother Rosa.

Manolo Cruz (who also wrote the film) gives a tremendous performance as Alberto, inhabiting a young man trapped by physical hardship but unbound by spirit. This indelible first feature, which portrays the extraordinary resilience and grace of characters caught in between the margins of a beautiful place, was awarded with the Audience Award and two Best Acting Awards in Sundance.

"... a couple of powerful lead performances should ensure attention at fests and (could) generate some attention in American art houses?"
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter

"...Manolo Cruz (who also wrote the film) gives a tremendous performance as Alberto, a young man trapped by physical hardship but unbound by spirit."
Sydney Levin, IndieWire Sydney's Buzz

"Fronted by Manolo Cruz's powerfully immobile performance as a young man with a neurological disorder, Carlos Del Castillo's directing debut carries the viewer along with its stirring emotional directness and a rich, unusual sense of place?"
Justin Chang, Variety

"Between Sea and Land was clearly a labour of love for Colombian star Manolo Cruz. He wrote, co-directed, produced, partially funded and stars in this portrait of a young man imprisoned by a degenerative muscular disease. He lost twenty kilos to convincingly convey the muscle wastage suffered by Alberto?"
Wendy Ide, Screen Daily

28-year-old Alberto lives on a swampy marsh adjacent to the Caribbean sea, which he dreams of one day visiting. But Alberto is afflicted with a neurological disorder that confines him to his bed, and his mother Rosa lovingly protects and takes care of him. Alberto's wry humor and creativity help them muster the strength to endure, and he enjoys the company of his neighbor Giselle, who showers Alberto with affection. But the life he imagines with his would-be-sweetheart feels just as close-yet-out-of-reach as the sea he looks upon. As he slips into anguish, Rosa confronts her past in order to lift her son's burden and make his dreams attainable.