DIRECTOR: Klaudia Reynicke
STARRING: Jimena Lindo, Gonzalo Molina, Abril Gjurinovic, Luana Vega
RUNNING TIME: 1 hr 42 minutes
LANGUAGE: Spanish
Surrounded by social and political chaos in Lima during the summer of 1992, Lucia, Aurora, and their mother, Elena, plan to leave and seek opportunities in the United States. Their farewell involves reconnecting with their estranged father, Carlos, adding turbulence to the regrets, hopes, and fears of their emotional departure.
***
Reinas is director Klaudia Reynicke's third feature film following Love Me Tender and The Nest. Reinas had its worldwide debut at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and then made its European premiere at the Berlinale Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix of the Generation K-Plus International Jury. The film went on to receive a warm welcome from Swiss audiences over the summer, when it made its local premiere at the Locarno Film Festival, winning the Piazza Grande Audience Award. The film is an autobiographically inspired story. Outsider Pictures Distribution will release the film in the U.S. and Puerto Rico on November 29, at the same time as a release in Canada by Films We Like.
The Swiss Film Academy announced Reinas as the winner over Dog On Trial on September 25th.
The film is produced by Rindelaub and Thomas Reichlin’s Geneva-based company Alva Film, in co-production with Maretazo Cine in Peru, Inicia Films in Spain and RTS Radio Télévision Suisse. The Yellow Affair handles international sales.
Reinas is a drama and it was filmed in Lima, Peru.
To check out all previous submissions for Switzerland, click HERE.
STARRING: Jimena Lindo, Gonzalo Molina, Abril Gjurinovic, Luana Vega
RUNNING TIME: 1 hr 42 minutes
LANGUAGE: Spanish
Surrounded by social and political chaos in Lima during the summer of 1992, Lucia, Aurora, and their mother, Elena, plan to leave and seek opportunities in the United States. Their farewell involves reconnecting with their estranged father, Carlos, adding turbulence to the regrets, hopes, and fears of their emotional departure.
***
Reinas is director Klaudia Reynicke's third feature film following Love Me Tender and The Nest. Reinas had its worldwide debut at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and then made its European premiere at the Berlinale Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix of the Generation K-Plus International Jury. The film went on to receive a warm welcome from Swiss audiences over the summer, when it made its local premiere at the Locarno Film Festival, winning the Piazza Grande Audience Award. The film is an autobiographically inspired story. Outsider Pictures Distribution will release the film in the U.S. and Puerto Rico on November 29, at the same time as a release in Canada by Films We Like.
The Swiss Film Academy announced Reinas as the winner over Dog On Trial on September 25th.
The film is produced by Rindelaub and Thomas Reichlin’s Geneva-based company Alva Film, in co-production with Maretazo Cine in Peru, Inicia Films in Spain and RTS Radio Télévision Suisse. The Yellow Affair handles international sales.
Reinas is a drama and it was filmed in Lima, Peru.
To check out all previous submissions for Switzerland, click HERE.
FILM REVIEW:
(This review contains spoilers.)
“With your feet on the ground, with your eyes looking to the sky, nothing is impossible.”
Klaudia Reynicke’s Reinas is a touching and beautifully understated drama that delves deep into the complexities of familial relationships amid personal and political chaos. Set against the backdrop of Lima in 1992, a time marked by economic collapse and violence from the Shining Path insurgency, the film tells a profoundly human story about a father trying to reconnect with his two daughters before they leave for the United States. Reynicke’s careful direction and poignant storytelling elevate Reinas into a moving character study, one that balances quiet moments of tenderness with the harsh realities of a turbulent society.
At the heart of Reinas is Gonzalo Molina’s portrayal of Carlos, a well-meaning but flawed father whose whimsical nature and penchant for exaggeration make him both charming and unreliable. Molina brilliantly captures the essence of a man caught between his desire to be a good father and his inability to confront his own shortcomings. His transformation throughout the film, from a distant, self-deluded figure to someone genuinely invested in his daughters’ futures, is subtle and deeply affecting. Reynicke masterfully uses Carlos' tall tales, from fighting crocodiles to surviving car bombs, to illustrate his internal struggle and his need to craft a more heroic self-image.
The relationship between Carlos and his daughters, Aurora and Lucia, is the emotional core of the film. As the two sisters prepare to leave Lima with their mother, Elena, they navigate their own conflicted feelings about their father and their impending departure. Aurora, on the cusp of adulthood, is torn between the life she knows in Lima and the promise of stability in the U.S., while the younger Lucia is more certain of her path. The interactions between the siblings are beautifully written and performed, capturing the nuances of growing up and the bittersweet realization that life is about to change forever.
Reynicke’s skillful blending of the personal with the political is one of the film’s greatest strengths. While Reinas is ultimately a story about family, the historical context of early 1990s Peru adds layers of tension and urgency. Through subtle but impactful scenes, like Elena’s struggle to exchange money or the strict curfews imposed by the government, Reynicke immerses the audience in the country’s instability without ever losing focus on the intimate, personal stakes of the characters. The muted color palette and ethereal music, particularly during the beach trips Carlos organizes for his daughters, create a dreamlike atmosphere that contrasts beautifully with the harsh realities of life in Lima.
Reinas is a quietly powerful film that lingers long after the credits roll. Klaudia Reynicke has crafted a poignant and emotionally resonant story about a father’s last-ditch effort to hold onto his daughters and the fleeting moments that define family. With strong performances and a nuanced script that expertly balances personal and political themes, Reinas is a standout film that will leave audiences reflecting on the power of memory, the complexities of love, and the difficult choices that come with growing up.
(This review contains spoilers.)
“With your feet on the ground, with your eyes looking to the sky, nothing is impossible.”
Klaudia Reynicke’s Reinas is a touching and beautifully understated drama that delves deep into the complexities of familial relationships amid personal and political chaos. Set against the backdrop of Lima in 1992, a time marked by economic collapse and violence from the Shining Path insurgency, the film tells a profoundly human story about a father trying to reconnect with his two daughters before they leave for the United States. Reynicke’s careful direction and poignant storytelling elevate Reinas into a moving character study, one that balances quiet moments of tenderness with the harsh realities of a turbulent society.
At the heart of Reinas is Gonzalo Molina’s portrayal of Carlos, a well-meaning but flawed father whose whimsical nature and penchant for exaggeration make him both charming and unreliable. Molina brilliantly captures the essence of a man caught between his desire to be a good father and his inability to confront his own shortcomings. His transformation throughout the film, from a distant, self-deluded figure to someone genuinely invested in his daughters’ futures, is subtle and deeply affecting. Reynicke masterfully uses Carlos' tall tales, from fighting crocodiles to surviving car bombs, to illustrate his internal struggle and his need to craft a more heroic self-image.
The relationship between Carlos and his daughters, Aurora and Lucia, is the emotional core of the film. As the two sisters prepare to leave Lima with their mother, Elena, they navigate their own conflicted feelings about their father and their impending departure. Aurora, on the cusp of adulthood, is torn between the life she knows in Lima and the promise of stability in the U.S., while the younger Lucia is more certain of her path. The interactions between the siblings are beautifully written and performed, capturing the nuances of growing up and the bittersweet realization that life is about to change forever.
Reynicke’s skillful blending of the personal with the political is one of the film’s greatest strengths. While Reinas is ultimately a story about family, the historical context of early 1990s Peru adds layers of tension and urgency. Through subtle but impactful scenes, like Elena’s struggle to exchange money or the strict curfews imposed by the government, Reynicke immerses the audience in the country’s instability without ever losing focus on the intimate, personal stakes of the characters. The muted color palette and ethereal music, particularly during the beach trips Carlos organizes for his daughters, create a dreamlike atmosphere that contrasts beautifully with the harsh realities of life in Lima.
Reinas is a quietly powerful film that lingers long after the credits roll. Klaudia Reynicke has crafted a poignant and emotionally resonant story about a father’s last-ditch effort to hold onto his daughters and the fleeting moments that define family. With strong performances and a nuanced script that expertly balances personal and political themes, Reinas is a standout film that will leave audiences reflecting on the power of memory, the complexities of love, and the difficult choices that come with growing up.
