Feature – Spain / International Première
Showing @ Filmhouse 2, Thu 21 Jun @ 18.00 & Cineworld 8, Sat 30 Jun @ 20.15
Isabel de Ocampo / Spain / 2012 / 96 min
In a quite traumatic examination of human trafficking, co-writer and director Isabel de Ocampo’s Evelyn acts not only as an exposé of the industry, but strongly stands as a stylish and accomplished feature film which weaves true-to-life situations into the thriller genre. In the film’s opening scenes, we see the conditions that young women so desperately wish to flee from. With promises of limitless wealth, Evelyn is seduced into believing she is going to work in a Spanish cafeteria; soon however, her ordeal unfolds, as she adapts to life as a working girl – or risk facing the consequences.
What marks this film as a success is Ocampo’s casting decisions. Cindy Díaz’s portrayal of the enslaved teen is hugely powerful, characterising, in a sense, the strength possessed by women who have suffered such brutality – violence which is of course to the disgust of modern society. Never playing the passive victim, Díaz fights and shouts her way through the sleazy underworld, creating an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia as her attempts to free herself soon become futile. With a tender touch, Ocampo has created a film which is devastatingly dark and cruel, but in doing so has ensured her film will never be forgotten or dismissed.