''Un amor'' () is a 2023 Spanish drama film directed by

Isabel Coixet Isabel Coixet Castillo (; born 9 April 1960) is a Spanish film director. She is one of the most prolific film directors of contemporary Spain, having directed twelve feature-length films since the beginning of her film career in 1988, in addition ...

from a screenplay by Coixet and Laura Ferrero based on the novel of the same name by Sara Mesa. It stars Laia Costa and

Hovik Keuchkerian Hovik Keuchkerian Burgui (born 14 November 1972) is a Spanish actor, stand-up comedian, and former boxer. Biography Hovik Keuchkerian Burgui was born in 1972, to an Armenian father and a Spanish mother in Beirut, Lebanon. He moved with his fa ...

Plot

Freelance translator Nat settles in the countryside village of La Escapa, finding a hostile environment and a cruel landlord keen on sexist microagressions. Neighbor Andreas, locally dubbed as "the German", awkwardly offers Nat free home repairs in exchange for

sexual penetration Sexual penetration is the insertion of a body part or other object into a body orifice, such as the mouth, vagina or anus, as part of human sexual activity or sexual behavior in non-human animals. The term is most commonly used in statute la ...

. Nat, despite early reluctance, ends up accepting, paving the way for a self-consuming passion.

Cast

Production

Penned by

and , the screenplay is an adaptation of the 2020 novel ''Un amor'' by Sara Mesa. The film was produced by Buena Pinta Media, Perdición Films and Monte Glauco AIE with the participation of

RTVE The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (; ), known as Radiotelevisión Española (''Spanish Radio and Television'', RTVE), is the Spanish national public Broadcasting, television and radio broadcaster. It is a state-owned enterprise f ...

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso * Canal 3 Niger, a commercial television channel in Niger * Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala * Can ...

Movistar Plus+ Movistar Plus+ (formerly Movistar+) is the trade name of the subscription platform for digital television owned by , which operates in Spain. The service is distributed via optical fiber and ADSL as well as with satellites such as Astra. The pl ...

, ICAA, and Gobierno de La Rioja. Shooting locations in

La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community and provinces of Spain, province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other List of municipalities in La Rioja, cities and towns in the ...

included

Nalda Nalda is a municipality of the autonomous community of La Rioja (Spain). It is located near the capital, Logroño. Its population in January 2006 was 1,074 inhabitants over a 24.6 square kilometre area. History The town was the scene of the ...

, Ribafrecha, and Villalobar.

Release

''Un amor'' was presented in the official selection of the

71st San Sebastián International Film Festival The 71st San Sebastián International Film Festival ran 22–30 September 2023 in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain. The awards were announced on 30 September 2023, with '' The Rye Horn'' winning the Golden Shell, being the first film directed by ...

on 26 September 2023, in competition for the

Golden Shell The Golden Shell (; ) is the highest prize given to a competing film at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. It was introduced in 1957. In 1953 and 1954, the highest prize had been called the Gran Premio. In 1955 and 1956 it was replace ...

. Distributed by BTeam Pictures, the film released theatrically in Spain on 10 November 2023.

Reception

Jonathan Holland of ''

ScreenDaily ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company which also owned ''Broadcast''. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involve ...

'' wrote that the film is sometimes "redolent of Coixet's very best work, rippling outwards to touch upon some fundamental, and eternally gripping, human questions about what love is". Guy Lodge of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' considered the film to be a return to form for Coixet while pointing out that it is not an "obvious crowdpleasing fare", because of its "commendably complex" gender politics and its "both frank and occasionally disturbing" study of sex as social currency.

Top ten lists

The film appeared on a number of critics' top ten lists of the best Spanish films of 2023: * 2nd — ''

El Español ''El Español'' is a Spanish online newspaper that started in 2015. It has its headquarters in Avenida de Burgos, 16D, 7º, Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid. As of April 2025, it has the largest digital reach among all newspapers in Spain, averaging ...

'' (''Series & Más'' consensus) * 10th — '' Mondosonoro'' (consensus)

Accolades

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Amor (film), Un Films shot in La Rioja Films directed by Isabel Coixet Spanish romantic drama films Spanish-language romantic drama films Films based on Spanish novels 2020s Spanish-language films 2020s Spanish films