D’A Barcelona 2023: “Inmotep” by Julián Genisson

It is quite likely that Inmotep It passes unnoticed through various festivals and if with some luck it manages to be released in theaters, it won’t be a great claim for the public. A “silent” play, recorded with a non-professional camera, performed by amateur actors, barely an hour long, does not usually contain the ingredients that the public on the street can look for. A real pity because they will be missing one of the best Spanish films of the year.

Inmotep is a unique work, a bad joke that starts with a sequence in an abandoned house with a voice of Speaking shrill reciting a philosophical ramble very deep on thresholds, images and memories. All this to then delve into the daily chores of three completely mundane people: a driver with an interest in learning Italian, a real estate employee who reads Jordan Peterson and a lady who is dedicated to making portraits inspired by stock images. The film is devoid of any live sound and dialogue, guided by an intentionally over-the-top soundtrack. Dialogues are not necessary to reveal the implausible mysteries of which the characters are a part. The direction of photography dilates the white lights, often preventing any kind of depth of field. All this would seem either the work of a madman or the school work of a film student. But Julián Génisson knows perfectly well what he is doing, the aberration that he is building, and he uses it to his advantage with grace and poignant humor. It is very well narrated and edited, always maintaining the viewer’s interest and attention and leading to a totally maddening and terrifying outcome.

Inmotep is a film born from the school that Génisson himself, Chema García Ibarra, Ion de Sosa or Juan Cavestany among others (the latter two actively participating in the film) have been developing for several years. A school that completely challenges mainstream Spanish cinema and proposes a more real and close cinema, exploring the darkest and most remote recesses of Spanish humor.

Inmotep (Julian Genisson, 2022) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️