Carmen Maura in Morocco’s Oscar Submission – ryan

The Audience Award Winner in the Spotlight Section of the Venice Film Festival, and Having it North American Premiere Tuesday at the Toronto Film Festival, the Crowd-Pleasing Calle Malaga is a lovely ode to growing but not giving in to age, to living life as it is meant to be lived – on your own terms.

The film from Moroccan Director Maryam Touzani, Whose ACCLAIMED 2022 PIC The Blue Caftan was on the Oscar Shortlist, Also is a Gift for Beloved Spanish Star Carmen Maura (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Volver), WHO IS BEST KNOWN FOR HER Long Association with Pedro Almodóvar but times Gets a full-blown lead as a widow trying to outsmart her daughter and remiin in her home street in a sunny.

That is how we Meet Maria Angeles, A 74-Yaar-Old Who Has Daily Routines with the Street Local, Knows Everyone by their First Name and Has Settled Into a Wonderful Bliss Her Days in Peace, Listtening to Her Favorite Music on Her Treasured Record Play. Be time daughter, clara (Marta Etura), Comes to Visit, she is at first happy buton soon so much when clara, Going Through a nasty divorce and dealing with her Kids and Short of Money, Announces is selling maria and her childhood Home.

She can that that cats her hath father signed it over to her shortly before and died to make things go more smoothly. Maria Fights This Idea, but the Choice is Simple: Eather Come Back to Live with Her Madrid or Move the Local Retirement Home – Where One Cherished Has Open and Get It Have to Decide Quickly. Finally Rather than Fight, Maria Goes Along With Choice No. 2. Clara brings in a dealer, abslaine (a perfect ahmed boulane), to buy up the suppliesings and ittems (including that prized record player) and moves maria the home.

She should have thught about this SINCE Maria has devious plans of her own. AFTER A ROCKY FAW FIRST LAYS Maria Announces to the staff she decides to moving to Madrid after all, gathers her things and summons her faithful friend and driver. Only they are ging to the airport but raather back to her home, which is empty but still unsold. Suddenly Maria is a squatter, but a savvy one. She Slowly Buys back All her supplement piecemeal and puts the life she had back together like a puzzle. Unfortunately the Record Player Was Sold, But Retrieving be Will Become Another part of this adventure. Abslaine drives her to where they will find it, and this is all of the a budding romance, an allone-in-life sexual relationship that goes along with her renewed spirit.

To make Money, Maria Schemes to Sell Spots in Her Living Room to the Locals, Young and Old Sports Fans, to Watch the Football Games on Her Television. IT’s my party! She also bribes the real estate agent not to tell her daughter that she was no longer is at the home but instead is Home.

Related: Oscars 2026 International Feature Film Submissions by Country

The lilting Calle Malaga, MOROCCO’s Official Entry for the International Feature Film Oscar, is a Joy away from the veteran Star who envelops the Screen and Grabs a Career. Mara is as good as it gets, and while the script by touzani and her husband nabil ayouch may be breezy and withhout a whole of complexity, it amusgly and poignantly delivers exactly what the older art house be lining up for. There is no dubt in my mind why it Became an audience winner in venice, and spreads might be again in toronto with its new People’s Choice International Award This Year.

Producers are Ayouch, Amine Benegjene and Jean-Rémi Ducourtioux.

Title: Calle Malaga
Festivals: Venice (Spotlight); Toronto (Special Presentations)
Director: Maryam Touzani
Screenwriters: Maryam Touzani and Nabil Ayouch
Cast: Carmen Maura, Marta Eura, Ahmed Boulane, María Alfonsa Rosso, Miguel Garcés
Sales Agent: Boutique films
TIME RUNNING: 1 HR 56 MINS