Lúcia Moniz is a Portuguese mother pitted against social services in this deeply moving piece of social-realist cinema
The Portuguese actor Lúcia Moniz is maybe still best known as the woman Colin Firth falls for in Love Actually. Now she stars in this sombre, angry social-realist drama from the Portuguese film-maker Ana Rocha (a London Film School graduate), which sees Brexit Britain through European eyes. There are some implausibilities and untied plot strands, but also something scary and overwhelmingly sad.
Moniz and Ruben Garcia play Bela and Jota, a Portuguese couple with three children in a London council flat who have fallen on hard times. Bela makes some money cleaning houses but Jota is angry and depressed at not having been paid for timber-yard work. Their daughter Lu (Maisie Sly) is deaf, her hearing aid has stopped working, and suddenly the family are in the abyss of poverty. Bela is...
The Portuguese actor Lúcia Moniz is maybe still best known as the woman Colin Firth falls for in Love Actually. Now she stars in this sombre, angry social-realist drama from the Portuguese film-maker Ana Rocha (a London Film School graduate), which sees Brexit Britain through European eyes. There are some implausibilities and untied plot strands, but also something scary and overwhelmingly sad.
Moniz and Ruben Garcia play Bela and Jota, a Portuguese couple with three children in a London council flat who have fallen on hard times. Bela makes some money cleaning houses but Jota is angry and depressed at not having been paid for timber-yard work. Their daughter Lu (Maisie Sly) is deaf, her hearing aid has stopped working, and suddenly the family are in the abyss of poverty. Bela is...
- 6/6/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Some Kind Of Heaven sells to Dogwoof in UK, Filmin in Spain, Ppcw in Hong Kong.
Magnolia Pictures International has reported brisk business on its virtual EFM sales slate with multiple territory sales on Sundance Midnight selection A Glitch In The Matrix, Held, Listen, When I’m Done Dying, and Some Kind Of Heaven.
Rights to A Glitch In The Matrix, Rodney Ascher’s documentary that explores the theory that humans exist within a vast simulation, have gone in Scandinavia, Baltics and Iceland (Nonstop), Cis (Capella Films), and Poland (Ale Kino +).
Magnolia Pictures released the film in the US on...
Magnolia Pictures International has reported brisk business on its virtual EFM sales slate with multiple territory sales on Sundance Midnight selection A Glitch In The Matrix, Held, Listen, When I’m Done Dying, and Some Kind Of Heaven.
Rights to A Glitch In The Matrix, Rodney Ascher’s documentary that explores the theory that humans exist within a vast simulation, have gone in Scandinavia, Baltics and Iceland (Nonstop), Cis (Capella Films), and Poland (Ale Kino +).
Magnolia Pictures released the film in the US on...
- 3/11/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Some Kind Of Heaven, Assassins also spark sales.
Magnolia Pictures International has announced further key territory sales from the virtual AFM on Portuguese Oscar submission Listen, as well as deals on Sundance documentaries Some Kind Of Heaven and Assassins.
Lorna Lee Torres and her team closed deals on Listen with Lucky Red for Italy, Fenix Filmes for Brazil, and Gulf for Middle East.
Ana Rocha de Sousa’s Venice Horizons-winning drama previously sold in Canada (Films we Like) and Spain (Maximus Entertainment).
Lúcia Moniz and Ruben Garcia play a Portuguese couple in London fighting to keep custody of their children,...
Magnolia Pictures International has announced further key territory sales from the virtual AFM on Portuguese Oscar submission Listen, as well as deals on Sundance documentaries Some Kind Of Heaven and Assassins.
Lorna Lee Torres and her team closed deals on Listen with Lucky Red for Italy, Fenix Filmes for Brazil, and Gulf for Middle East.
Ana Rocha de Sousa’s Venice Horizons-winning drama previously sold in Canada (Films we Like) and Spain (Maximus Entertainment).
Lúcia Moniz and Ruben Garcia play a Portuguese couple in London fighting to keep custody of their children,...
- 12/3/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Drama ranks as top Portuguese film at local box office for year to date.
Heading into next week’s AFM 2020 Online, Magnolia Pictures International has licensed Venice Horizons winner Listen to a handful of key territories.
Head of international sales Lorna Lee Torres and her team closed deals for Canada with Films We Like, Spain with Maximus Entertainment, and the Middle East with Teleprog International.
Lúcia Moniz, Ruben Garcia and newcomer Maisie Sly star in Ana Rocha de Sousa’s drama about a Portuguese couple in London who fight to keep custody of their children, one of whom is deaf.
Heading into next week’s AFM 2020 Online, Magnolia Pictures International has licensed Venice Horizons winner Listen to a handful of key territories.
Head of international sales Lorna Lee Torres and her team closed deals for Canada with Films We Like, Spain with Maximus Entertainment, and the Middle East with Teleprog International.
Lúcia Moniz, Ruben Garcia and newcomer Maisie Sly star in Ana Rocha de Sousa’s drama about a Portuguese couple in London who fight to keep custody of their children, one of whom is deaf.
- 11/5/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The three children of a poor Portuguese couple (Lucia Moniz and Ruben Garcia) living in London are forcibly removed from their home by social services, raising questions about responsible parenting and duty of care in director Ana Rocha de Sousa’s emotive feature debut Listen.
Although the script by Rocha de Sousa, Paula Vaccaro and Aaron Brookner tries to be at least a little bit balanced, the rules-obsessed authorities don’t come out of it well. Largely told through the eyes of the hapless family, especially those of the deaf middle child (a soulful Maisie Sly), this won’t be winning endorsements from ...
Although the script by Rocha de Sousa, Paula Vaccaro and Aaron Brookner tries to be at least a little bit balanced, the rules-obsessed authorities don’t come out of it well. Largely told through the eyes of the hapless family, especially those of the deaf middle child (a soulful Maisie Sly), this won’t be winning endorsements from ...
The three children of a poor Portuguese couple (Lucia Moniz and Ruben Garcia) living in London are forcibly removed from their home by social services, raising questions about responsible parenting and duty of care in director Ana Rocha de Sousa’s emotive feature debut Listen.
Although the script by Rocha de Sousa, Paula Vaccaro and Aaron Brookner tries to be at least a little bit balanced, the rules-obsessed authorities don’t come out of it well. Largely told through the eyes of the hapless family, especially those of the deaf middle child (a soulful Maisie Sly), this won’t be winning endorsements from ...
Although the script by Rocha de Sousa, Paula Vaccaro and Aaron Brookner tries to be at least a little bit balanced, the rules-obsessed authorities don’t come out of it well. Largely told through the eyes of the hapless family, especially those of the deaf middle child (a soulful Maisie Sly), this won’t be winning endorsements from ...
Before she moved to the U.K. to take an M.A. in filmmaking in 2010, Ana Rocha left behind a long and respectable acting career in her native Portugal. This year sees the first fruits of that career change with her directorial debut “Listen,” which premieres Tuesday at the Venice Film Festival, competing in the Horizons section. Shot last summer in London’s East End, the film deals with the little-known issue of forced adoptions and tells the story an immigrant couple, played by Lúcia Moniz and Ruben Garcia, whose deaf daughter (newcomer Maisie Sly) comes to the attentions of social services after a misunderstanding at school.
How did you come to write and direct this film? What inspired you?
It really just came from my feeling of urgency about this subject matter. You could say it was a film that just sort of ‘happened,’ in the sense that I...
How did you come to write and direct this film? What inspired you?
It really just came from my feeling of urgency about this subject matter. You could say it was a film that just sort of ‘happened,’ in the sense that I...
- 9/8/2020
- by Damon Wise
- Variety Film + TV
Writer-producer reveals further details of upcoming features and drama series.
Paula Vaccaro, producer of Venice award-winner On The Milky Road and documentary Uncle Howard, has revealed further details of her upcoming projects.
The founder of production outfit Pinball London, who will curate several of this year’s Sarajevo CineLink Talks for Documentary Campus, will be in Venice next month to unveil drama feature Listen.
The film, which will play in the Orizzonti strand, marks the debut of Portuguese director Ana Rocha and was also scripted by Vaccaro with partner Aaron Brookner and Rocha.
Sold by Magnolia Pictures International, Vaccaro and...
Paula Vaccaro, producer of Venice award-winner On The Milky Road and documentary Uncle Howard, has revealed further details of her upcoming projects.
The founder of production outfit Pinball London, who will curate several of this year’s Sarajevo CineLink Talks for Documentary Campus, will be in Venice next month to unveil drama feature Listen.
The film, which will play in the Orizzonti strand, marks the debut of Portuguese director Ana Rocha and was also scripted by Vaccaro with partner Aaron Brookner and Rocha.
Sold by Magnolia Pictures International, Vaccaro and...
- 8/14/2020
- by 57¦Geoffrey Macnab¦41¦
- ScreenDaily
Newcomers join Sundance docs Assassins, The Fight on sales slate.
Magnolia Pictures International has added two titles to its Cannes Marché du Film Online slate, boarding worldwide rights to London-set immigrant drama Listen, and Istanbul-set love story When I’m Done Dying.
Listen chronicles the struggles of a Portuguese immigrant couple in London whose children are taken away by social services.
Ruben Garcia, Portuguese actress and singer Lucia Moniz (Love Actually), Sophia Myles, and Maisie Sly, star of British Oscar-winning short The Silent Child, star in Ana Rocha De Sousa’s first feature, currently in post.
The film is produced...
Magnolia Pictures International has added two titles to its Cannes Marché du Film Online slate, boarding worldwide rights to London-set immigrant drama Listen, and Istanbul-set love story When I’m Done Dying.
Listen chronicles the struggles of a Portuguese immigrant couple in London whose children are taken away by social services.
Ruben Garcia, Portuguese actress and singer Lucia Moniz (Love Actually), Sophia Myles, and Maisie Sly, star of British Oscar-winning short The Silent Child, star in Ana Rocha De Sousa’s first feature, currently in post.
The film is produced...
- 6/11/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Winner of the best Live Action Short Film Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards, The Silent Child is a heart-rending, urgent and hugely engaging film about the deep-rooted societal ignorance surrounding deafness, and highlights the struggles of a four year old deaf girl (played by deaf actor Maisie Sly), as she learns to communicate using sign language with the help of a new teacher.
Directed by Chris Overton and written by Rachel Shenton, the film won the hearts and minds of academy members earlier this month thanks to its brights and hugely likeable lead, and is set to ignite an important discourse surrounding deafness and the need for a broader understanding of how to educate hearing impaired children, when it airs on the BBC over the Easter Weekend.
As the youngest child of a busy middle class couple, hearing impaired four year old Libby (Maisie Sly) has until now...
Directed by Chris Overton and written by Rachel Shenton, the film won the hearts and minds of academy members earlier this month thanks to its brights and hugely likeable lead, and is set to ignite an important discourse surrounding deafness and the need for a broader understanding of how to educate hearing impaired children, when it airs on the BBC over the Easter Weekend.
As the youngest child of a busy middle class couple, hearing impaired four year old Libby (Maisie Sly) has until now...
- 3/27/2018
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Despite the reports of this year’s Academy Awards broadcast showing lower than normal ratings, we have to say that overall it was a fairly solid telecast. This year more than ever people were streaming the awards show, as so many have turned to “cord-cutting” and according to digital marketing agency Adtaxi there has been significant change in the way audiences view and engage with award shows.
There were so many fantastic films, actors, actresses, directors and crew nominated this year, that we can’t even begin to imagine what it was like for the members of the Academy to cast those deciding votes on who would win and who would lose.
Each year Age of the Nerd completes our annual list of picks and it was definitely a tight race, as in many of the categories it was truly anyone’s game. We were thrilled to see that this...
There were so many fantastic films, actors, actresses, directors and crew nominated this year, that we can’t even begin to imagine what it was like for the members of the Academy to cast those deciding votes on who would win and who would lose.
Each year Age of the Nerd completes our annual list of picks and it was definitely a tight race, as in many of the categories it was truly anyone’s game. We were thrilled to see that this...
- 3/11/2018
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
MaryAnn’s quick take… My pick: I think the quietly shocking “DeKalb Elementary” [pictured] may win for its very of-the-moment story about a school office worker’s attempt to de-escalate an invading gunman’s rage via patience and empathy. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
The power of film to move the needle on contentious topics of cultural debate could not possibly be on better display in the films nominated for the Oscar for Best Live Action Short… unless all five of them, instead of merely four, tackled serious matters with such social-justice-warrior ferocity. The one outlier here, though, is a very welcome light distraction.
The nominated films these year are all so strong that it’s difficult to pick an indisputable front-runner. But I think the quietly shocking “DeKalb Elementary” [IMDb|official site], by writer-director Reed Van Dyk,...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
The power of film to move the needle on contentious topics of cultural debate could not possibly be on better display in the films nominated for the Oscar for Best Live Action Short… unless all five of them, instead of merely four, tackled serious matters with such social-justice-warrior ferocity. The one outlier here, though, is a very welcome light distraction.
The nominated films these year are all so strong that it’s difficult to pick an indisputable front-runner. But I think the quietly shocking “DeKalb Elementary” [IMDb|official site], by writer-director Reed Van Dyk,...
- 3/4/2018
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Three of the most difficult categories to call every year at the Oscars are those of the short films. They lack precursor prizes and, in many cases, visibility. If you are not able to see these films before the Academy Awards on March 4, don’t worry: we’ve got you covered. Below is our take on the five nominees for Best Live Action Short.
A screening committee drawn from the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members winnowed a record field of 165 entries for Best Live Action Short down to 10 semi-finalists. All members of the branch could attend December screenings in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco and then cast preferential ballots for the five nominees.
“DeKalb Elementary” (USA)
Director/Writer: Reed Van Dyk
Running Time: 21 minutes
The film details the terrifying experience of an elementary school secretary when she confronts a disturbed gunman who has entered the...
A screening committee drawn from the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members winnowed a record field of 165 entries for Best Live Action Short down to 10 semi-finalists. All members of the branch could attend December screenings in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco and then cast preferential ballots for the five nominees.
“DeKalb Elementary” (USA)
Director/Writer: Reed Van Dyk
Running Time: 21 minutes
The film details the terrifying experience of an elementary school secretary when she confronts a disturbed gunman who has entered the...
- 2/16/2018
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
At the end of the Oscar-nominated live-action short “The Silent Child,” a trio of title cards deliver some sobering facts. One explains that “over 78% of deaf children attend mainstream school with no specialist support in place,” and a final note adds that the filmmakers “hope this film contributes in the fight for sign language to be recognized in every school across the globe.” But the Oscar-nominated short film conveys its message long before the factoids pop up, thanks to a rich script from first-time screenwriter Rachel Shenton (who also stars in the film) and a rewarding turn from her young co-star, first-time actor Maisie Sly.
“Deafness and sign language are extremely close to my heart,” Shenton said. “I always say deafness is a silent disability, you can’t see and it’s not life-threatening, so it has to touch your life in some way in order for it to be on your radar.
“Deafness and sign language are extremely close to my heart,” Shenton said. “I always say deafness is a silent disability, you can’t see and it’s not life-threatening, so it has to touch your life in some way in order for it to be on your radar.
- 2/15/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
This year’s batch of Oscar nominated live-action shorts — five in total, including two from the United States — features a startlingly varied selection, from topics to genre (there’s even a stray comedy in here). Yet, despite the wide range of films on offer for this year’s award, the five nominees are bonded by a strong take on timely political issues (from gun control to religious tolerance) and personal anxieties that hardly seem out of place in seriously strange times. Look closely — this batch might not be as unconnected as it seems.
Read More:2018 Oscar Predictions: Best Live Action Short
As is awards season tradition, ShortsHD will be releasing this year’s short film Oscar nominees — including live-action, animated, and documentary — into theaters around the country next week, all in hopes that cinephiles will spark to the idea of checking out a big batch of contenders they most likely...
Read More:2018 Oscar Predictions: Best Live Action Short
As is awards season tradition, ShortsHD will be releasing this year’s short film Oscar nominees — including live-action, animated, and documentary — into theaters around the country next week, all in hopes that cinephiles will spark to the idea of checking out a big batch of contenders they most likely...
- 2/1/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
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