Return to Hansala

Return to Hansala (Spanish: Retorno a Hansala) is a 2008 Spanish film directed by Chus Gutiérrez which stars Farah Hamed and José Luis García Pérez. It won the Golden Pyramid Award at the 32nd Cairo International Film Festival and was also screened at the 2008 Dubai International Film Festival.

Return to Hansala
Original title	Retorno a Hansala
Directed by	Chus Gutiérrez
Screenplay by	Chus Gutiérrez Juan Carlos Rubio
Starring	José Luis García Pérez Farah Hamed Adam Bounnouacha Antonio de la Torre Antonio Dechent Cuca Escribano
Cinematography	Kiko de la Rica
Edited by	Fernando Pardo
Music by	Tao Gutiérrez
Production companies	Muac Films Maestranza Films
Release dates	10 September 2008 (2008-09-10) (Toronto) 27 March 2009 (2009-03-27) (Spain)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	Spain
Languages	Spanish Arabic Berber (Central Atlas Tamazight) French

Plot

At the beginning of this decade the bodies of eleven young Moroccan immigrants who were trying to cross the Strait of Gibraltar appeared on the beaches of Rota. From their clothes, it was discovered that they all came from the same village, Hansala. The film tries to portray that event through the eyes of Martín, a funeral parlor owner who tries to make money on their deaths, and Leila, the sister of one of the dead boys. Together, they adventure into trying to repatriate the boy's body by van and live an intense moral experience that will lead them to question their beliefs.

The film begins with several bodies washing up on the Spanish shore, Playa de Getares, near the coastal town of Algeciras. One of them is the younger brother of Leila, a refugee living in the town. She had encouraged him to risk the boat crossing to Spain, against their family's wishes. After identifying her brother, Leila decides to repatriate his body, and face the wrath of her parents. Teaming up with a Spanish undertaker Martin, the pair embark on the hazardous trip to Leila's mountain village of Hansala in the Moroccan countryside. Leila's most fundamental beliefs are challenged, as she must face her family, and their grief, anger and love. Martin meanwhile is surprised by his welcome in the village. Director Chus Gutiérrez presents with great sensitivity the opposing viewpoints of her main protagonists, artfully, contrasting the lives of rich and poor, separated by only a few hundred miles.

Cast

• Farah Hamed [ca] as Leila^[1]
• José Luis García Pérez as Martín^[2]
• Adam Bounnouacha as Said^[3]
• Antonio de la Torre as Antonio^[3]
• Cuca Escribano [es] as Carmen^[3]
• Antonio Dechent as Manolo^[3]
• César Vea as Cirilo^[3]
• Miguel Alcíbar [es] as Pepe^[3]

Production

The film was produced by Maestranza Films and Muac Films.^[4] Shooting locations included Algeciras and Los Barrios.^[5] It was shot in Spanish, Arabic, Berber (Central Atlas Tamazight), and French.^[6]

Release

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2008.^[7] Its festival run also included Tangier, the Seville European Film Festival,^[8] the Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci), and the 32nd Cairo International Film Festival, among others. It was theatrically released in Spain in 2009.

Awards

Tao Gutiérrez, Farah Hamed, and Chus Gutiérrez at a press conference for the film at Cines del Sur

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2008	53rd Valladolid International Film Festival	Jury Special Prize		Won	[9]
	32nd Cairo International Film Festival	Golden Pyramid		Won
2009	23rd Goya Awards	Best Original Screenplay	Chus Gutiérrez, Juan Carlos Rubio	Nominated	[10]
		Best New Actress	Farah Hamed	Nominated
		Best Original Song	Tao Gutiérrez	Nominated

See also

• List of Spanish films of 2009