The Visit and A Secret Garden
Little is known about the mysterious figure of Isabel Santaló, an artist, today fallen into oblivion. But occasionally some visitors come to her flat. Through them and the voice of Antonio López (‘Dream of Light’, Víctor Erice), the only painter who remembers her, we shape a multifaceted film that takes a surprising turn. A film that reflects on memory and oblivion, Art and the creative process; posing the question of what it means to be an artist and a woman.
Biofilmography
Irene M. Borrego
A graduate from EICTV, Cuba, she extended her studies at The London Film School and later on became an Abbas Kiarostami’s mentee. She is cofounder and managing director of the production company 59 en Conserva, devoted to arthouse documentary cinema. As a director, her filmography includes nine awarded short films (‘Muebles Aldeguer’, ‘Vekne Hleba i Riba’, ‘California’). Beside her own projects, she also produces feature films by other fellow filmmakers (‘This Film is About Me’, ‘Dos Islas’, ‘El mar nos mira de lejos’). ‘The Visit and A Secret Garden’ is her debut feature as a director.
As a Director (selected): La Visita y Un Jardín secreto (feature, 2022); Muebles Aldeguer (short, 2015); Vekne Hleba i Riba (short, 2013); Film Postcards: Serbia (short, 2012); Poker (short, 2008); California (short, 2005); Caleidoscopio (short, 2004).
As a Producer: La Visita y Un Jardín secreto (feature, 2022); This Film is About Me (feature, 2019); El mar nos mira de lejos (feature, 2017); Dos Islas (medium length, 2017).
CREW
Director: Irene M. Borrego
Cast / Characters: Isabel Santaló, Antonio López, Fernanda Suárez, Amelia Martínez Callejo
Producers: Mariangela Mondolo-Burghard, Renata Sancho, Irene M. Borrego
Screenplay: Irene M. Borrego, Manuel Muñoz Rivas
Cinematography: Rita Noriega, Javier Calvo
Sound Design: Hugo Leitão Sound: Nicolas Tsabertidis, Hugo Leitão
Editing: Manuel Muñoz Rivas, Irene M. Borrego
Music: Frederic Mompou
Production Companies: 59 en Conserva S.L. (Spain), Cedro Plátano Lda (Portugal)
International Distributor & Sales Agent: Les Films de la Résistance
FESTIVALS & AWARDS
Premiere
25th Festival de Málaga - Official Documentary Competition - National + World Premiere
- 'Biznaga de Plata' Best Directing Award
- 'Biznaga de Plata' Audience Award
International Premiere
20.Doclisboa - Official Competition
- 'HBO Max' Best Film Award
- Schools Award – ETIC Youth Jury Best Film Award
Awards
FEROZ Awards 2023
- Best Non-Fiction Film Award
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival - International Competition
- The Mayor’s Prize
41st Bergamo Film Meeting - Official Competition
- Best Documentary Film Award
29th L'Alternativa Barcelona - Official Competition
- Best National Film Award
18th Panorama Internacional Coisa de Cinema - International Competition
- Official Jury’s Special Mention
19th Documenta Madrid - Official Competition
- Best Spanish Film Audience Award
12th IBAFF Murcia International Film Festival - Official Competition
- Best Feature Film Award
54th Alcances Cádiz - Official Competition
- Official Jury’s Special Mention
- CIMA Jury’s Special Mention
DART Documentary Film Festival on Art - Official Competition
- Laie Dart Critics' Award 2023
Museums & Art Centers
· The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
· MACA Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Atchugarry
· MUSAC Contemporary Art Museum
· Reina Sofía Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
· Centro Botín Contemporary Art Center
Other Festivals & Screenings
28th Caminhos do Cinema Português - Outros Olhares Competition
27th Cinespaña Toulouse - Documentary Official Competition
9th Duhok International Film Festival - International Documentary Competition
25th Icaro International Film Festival - International Documentary Competition
9th Transcinema International Film Festival - International Competition
9th Budapest International Documentary Festival - Official Competition
45è Festival Films de Femmes de Créteil - Official Competition
10th Riga Pasaules Film Festival
22è DOC-Cévennes - Official Selection
9th Espanoramas Argentina
1st Espanoramas Chile
18th Rencontres Cinématographiques Internationales de Cerbère-Collioure
Film theatrically released in Spain and Portugal
Reviews & Press
Variety: https://variety.com/2023/film/global/isabel-santalo-irene-m-borrego-arca-1235477181
More Articles available at https://www.thevisitandasecretgarden.com/en/materials
Reviews:
“«The Visit and A Secret Garden» is without any doubts viscerally mesmerizing (...) just beautiful, a non-fiction film even full of suspense. Among the magnificent squad of Spanish female directors a new star is born: Irene M. Borrego.” | Carlos Loureda, FilmAnd
“«The Visit and A Secret Garden» –the new and astonishing film by producer and director Irene M. Borrego– is the quintessential definition of what for decades we have referred to as non-fiction cinema: that is using narrative dispositives of fiction cinema to stories deeply rooted in reality.” | Matías G. Rebolledo, La Razón
“The brightest moments of the film come through the interventions of Santaló, whose description of the creative process -based on the search for the accident- creates an emotional turmoil you cannot escape.” | Laura Carneros, Otros Cines Europa
“A documentary that challenges the expectations of the audience, a film that defies all the norms of biopic films and with a protagonist that has not the slightest intention to be vindicated.” | José A. Cano, Cine con Ñ
Alfonso Rivera, Cineuropa
Carlos del Amor, La 1 TVE
Luis Martínez, El Mundo
Saioa Camarzana, El Cultural
José A. Pérez Guevara, 242 Películas Después
Semíramis González, El Plural
Stefano Coccia, CineClandestino
Paula Bonet, El País
Interviews:
Isabel Ruiz Lara, Radio 3 | Ayanta Barilli, esRadio | Natalia Benito, La Verdad | Paco Sánchez, Cadena Ser | María Molina, Guillermo Rojas, Cinema Verité | Manuel Barrero Cinespain | Joana de Sousa Doclisboa | Carlos del Amor, Las Tardes de RNE | Isabel Cristóbal, Masdearte | Pere Vall, Fotogramas | Peio H. Riaño, elDiario | Maite Muniain, Artesfera RNE | Elsa Fernández-Santos, SModa El País | John Hopewell, Variety
Top Films 2022:
Carlos Loureda, Fotogramas | Artuno Tena, Cine con Ñ | Antonio Miguel Arenas, Magnolia | Cinespain
