Josep (film)

Josep
Directed byAurel
Written byJean-Louis Milesi (script)
Produced bySerge Lalou
StarringSergi López
Bruno Solo
Gérard Hernandez
David Marsais
Music bySílvia Pérez Cruz[1]
Production
companies
Les Films d’Ici Méditerranée
Les Films du Poisson Rouge
In Efecto
Tchack
Les Films d’Ici
Lunanime
Promenons-nous dans les bois
Distributed bySophie Dulac Distribution (France)
Lumière (Belgium)
Filmin Cinema (Spain)
Release date
  • 30 September 2020 (2020-09-30)
Running time
74 minutes[2]
CountriesFrance
Belgium
Spain
LanguagesFrench
Catalan
Spanish
Box office$1.3 million[3]

Josep is a 2020 animated biographical film directed by Aurel (in his directorial debut) from a script by Jean-Louis Milesi, detailing the life of Catalonian cartoonist and revolutionary Josep Bartolí, following his experience during the Spanish Civil War, after the Second World War and his relationship with the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.[1][4][5] An international co-production between France, Belgium and Spain, the film was produced by Serge Lalou for Les Films d’Ici Méditerranée, in co-production with Les Films du Poisson Rouge, In Effecto, Tchack, Les Films d’Ici, Lunanime and Promenons-nous dans les bois.[6]

Josep was set to premiere at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival in May 2020, however it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] Subsequently, it premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France on 22 June 2020, and was released theatrically in France on 30 September 2020. It received generally positive reviews from critics, and won several accolades, including the César Award for Best Animated Film[8] and European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film.[9]

Plot

In February 1939, artist Josep Bartolí had to flee his native Spain, which fell under Franco's dictatorship after the Spanish Civil War. Like thousands of other Spanish refugees, he went to France, but ended up in a concentration camp. The under-fed refugees are victims of ill-treatment. However, the artist befriends a gendarme (French military policeman) who secretly gives him a pencil and paper. Josep Bartolí eventually goes to New York and Mexico where he meets the painter Frida Kahlo, with whom he falls in love.

Cast

Release

Josep was originally set to premiere at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival in May 2020, however it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] Subsequently, it premiered at the Annecy Film Festival in France on 22 June 2020. It was theatrically released in France on 30 September 2020, and grossed $1,373,465.[3]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on nine critical reviews.[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [11]

References

  1. ^ a b "Josep", la història del dibuixant Josep Bartolí, millor pel·lícula europea d'animació, 11 December 2020. (in Catalan). 3/24. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  2. ^ Josep at Unifrance. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b Josep at Box Office Mojo, an IMDb company. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  4. ^ Croll, Ben (11 January 2021) Director Aurel on Cannes Selection Animated Feature ‘Josep,’ Memory, Movement, Music. Variety. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  5. ^ Josep at Cineuropa – the best of European cinema. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  6. ^ Emilio, Mayorga (12 June 2019) Doc & Film Grabs Global Rights to Aurel’s ‘Josep’. Variety. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  7. ^ a b Serra, Xavi (6 March 2020) «La pel·lícula catalana d'animació 'Josep', en la programació 'cancel·lada' de Canes. (in Catalan). Ara. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  8. ^ ‘Josep’ també guanya el Premi Cèsar al millor film d’animació, 12 March 2021. (in Catalan). Vilaweb. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  9. ^ Winners – European Film Awards. European Film Academy. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Josep". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  11. ^ "Josep Reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2024-09-26.