For those who have been keeping an ear to the ground, Claudia Llosa is a filmmaker that has been making some serious noise. Her debut “Madinusa” first made a splash at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006, going on to play around the world, picking up prizes along the way. Three years later she returned with the acclaimed “The Milk Of Sorrow,” which received the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival. She’s headed back to the festival shortly, once again in competition, with her latest, “Aloft.” And it will be one to keep an eye on.
Starring Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent and William Shimell (“Certified Copy“), the film tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana Kunning (Connelly), and her evolution into a renowned artist and healer. When a young journalist (Laurent) tracks down her son Ivan (Murphy) 20 years after Nana abandoned him, she sets in motion an encounter between the two at the very edge of the earth that will bring the very meaning of their lives into question and force them to contemplate living life to its fullest, despite the distance between them and the uncertainties littering their paths. And as you’ll see in this exclusive clip, Nana isn’t eager to face the past again, while the scene promises some potent drama but also some lovely lensing as well.
“Aloft” will have its first screening in Berlin on Wednesday, February 12th. There’s no release date or distributor just yet; check out the clip below.