Piety aka La Pietà (Spanish: La piedad)[1] is a 2022 Spanish-Argentine film directed and written by Eduardo Casanova which stars Ángela Molina and Manel Llunell as Libertad and Mateo in a mother-son toxic relationship. It has been variously billed as a drama, "mother-son horror",[2] and black comedy. It displays camp elements.[3]
| Piety | |
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| Spanish | La piedad |
| Directed by | Eduardo Casanova |
| Written by | Eduardo Casanova |
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| Cinematography | Luis Ángel Pérez |
| Edited by | Ángel Pazos |
| Music by | Pedro Onetto |
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Set in 2011,[1] the fiction concerns the toxic mother-son relationship established between Libertad (the mother) and Mateo (the son), formulating an analogy with the relationship of the North-Korean government with its populace.[4][5] The maternal bond is upbended by Mateo's cancer diagnosis.[1]
Ana Belén was the original cast choice for the role of Libertad but she was eventually replaced by Ángela Molina due to the former's stage commitments.[4][7] A Spanish-Argentine co-production, the film was produced by Pokeepsie Films, Gente Seria AIE, Spal Films, Link-up and Crudo Films.[4] Filming began on 27 September 2021.[7] Shooting locations included Madrid and Andalusia.[6]
The film premiered at 56th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on 3 July 2022,[8] screened as part of the 'Proxima' lineup. It also screened at the 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan).[9] It was later selected for the Montreal-based Fantasia International Film Festival.[5] It had its US premiere at the Austin-based Fantastic Fest[10] and also made it to the 55th Sitges Film Festival official selection slate.[11]
Mary Beth McAndrews of Dread Central rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, assessing that Casanova manages to deliver "an upsettingly relevant and inherently queer message about relationships between mother and child".[3]
J. Hurtado of Screen Anarchy wrote that "tragicomic to an extreme perhaps only comparable to the best work of Todd Solondz", the film is "gorgeously vulgar and shocking, a film that draws from many to create something absolutely unique".[12]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 56th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival | Proxima Special Jury Prize | Won | [13] | |
| 26th Fantasia International Film Festival | Silver Audience Award for Best International Feature | Won | [14] | ||
| 17th Fantastic Fest | Best Picture (Official Competition) | Won | [15] | ||