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Zaida Carmona’s feature debut comedy “Girlfriends and Girlfriends” makes its international premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam this week, competing in the Bright Futures section. Variety has been given exclusive access to a clip from the film.

Produced by JaJaJa Industrias and Fdez & Vera, with international sales rights handled by Begin Again Films, it follows buzz from its world premiere at Spain’s D’A Festival, in addition to forming part of the Made in Spain panorama at last September’s San Sebastian Film Festival. 

The movie presents “a five-way lesbian sitcom. A moral tale that takes place in the bathrooms, beds and streets of Barcelona. Lots of pop, love and auto-fiction,” according to a statement from Begin Again Films.

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Being auto-fictional in nature, writer Director Zaida Carmona plays the lead also named Zaida, and sets the unfolding story in her home city of Barcelona. 

In this clip, Zaida chats with her friend, played by Rocío Saiz, about her love troubles, as well as Eric Rohmer, causing a fall out; all while vaguely playing tennis. The film is vignette driven and wears its references on its sleeve, with Rohmer’s work appearing in various guises throughout. The theme of longing, for instance, mirrors those explored in Rohmer’s “A Good Marriage,” but has a very different setting among a social circle of lesbians in Barcelona.  

Carmona previously starred in fellow Barcelona filmmaker Marc Ferrer’s crowd pleasing “Cut!,” winning audience awards at Toulouse and Madrid’s LGBT festival. Ferrer takes a co-writing credit with Carmona here. 

There is growing excitement around Spanish film in general, with the recent successes from Spain such as Sundance hit “Piggy,” from Carlota Perda, Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beasts,” a breakout box office hit in France, and Carla Simon’s Berlin Golden Bear winner “Alcarràs,”  

In addition, local pockets of filmmakers such as Carmona and Ferrer are supporting and producing each other’s work, leading the way toward a potential special period which could result in greater opportunities as a consequence. 

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