Wide shots of a rustic reservoir appear on the screen. Peaches dangle from the trees. The film cuts to medium shots of children playing in a car. One girl pretends to drive fast down the road. Off screen, a mysterious crane engine startles them. The children alert their aunt of the sighting. This incident drives Alcarras’s rich plot surrounding place, identity, and family.
Carla Simón’s film Alcarras (2022) depicts a rural family in contemporary Catalonia. Since the Spanish Civil War, the Solé family harvests peaches for sale. Unfortunately, the wealthy Pinyols still own the land. Solé ancestors received a verbal land guarantee in lieu of a contract. The current Pinyols decide to build solar panels, upending the orchard’s business. Patriarch Quimet wishes to keep his family’s legacy alive. The film won the Golden Bear at the 2022 Berlinale Festival.
Through labor, the film discusses gender role ratification. Male farmers pick peaches from the trees. Mariona, Iris, and Aunt Dolors wish to help. The men question their arrival. The film shows wide shots of the women picking fruit. They drop the goods into red baskets. This contrasts with prior close-ups of bathing husbands and applying makeup. After seeing the women’s efficiency, the farmers accept their help.
Various age groups interact as both family members and business partners. This presents a generational divide about labor, which fascinates me. The grandfather pushes a young man, Roger, to study. Perhaps he wants Roger to have more economic opportunities. However, Roger enjoys picking peaches and planting crops. In a medium shot, he rubs his temples as Mariona explains facts. Her younger sister, Iris, sits in Roger’s lap.
In numerous medium shots, Mariona dances to pop music in the fields. She shows her choreography to Aunt Glória, who offers positive feedback. Through her creative expression, Mariona creates space for herself in the male-dominated farm. In numerous medium shots, she teaches other routines to Iris and other children. Mariona became a source of artistic education and admiration.
Viewers see the orchards as sources of joy. Fifty minutes into the film, Mariona playfully chases Roger through the fields. A wide shot depicts them jumping into a rustic pool. Several couples follow their lead. The grandfather smiles and sits in a chair on land. With the plot’s context, the elation becomes bittersweet. After the annual harvest, the family could lose the orchard. This would result in a loss of income.
Through the children’s eyes, viewers see the orchard as a business outlet. Iris and her young brothers think of the harvest pallet as a den. They attempt to make the floor peach-colored. The grandfather takes the pallet away. In subsequent wide shots, the children throw lettuce and gleefully run. Due to their behavior, a farmer makes them clean the barn. The adults gently teach their children to respect the family business.
In nighttime wide shots, tractors bring fruit to a warehouse. Portable lamps illuminate the site. Inside, Roger places shipping stickers onto packages. By working late, the farmers demonstrate their pride. The operation shows the fruit business’s success beyond local towns. Additionally, the scene echoes Quimet’s earlier declaration: “it’s still mine until the harvest is over.”
Several medium shots show the large, gleeful family dinner. The family eats cooked snails, bread, and meat in colorful bowls. The adults drink wine through bottles with small holes. An older gentleman brings out a spicy sausage dish called llonganissa. Despite the possible orchard loss, the family remains hardworking and hopeful. I enjoyed learning about the family’s cuisine and culture.
