A Spanish Woman without Piano fading to gray. Nights in Madrid
By Don Simpson
In this New Lights Competition selection, director Javier Rebollo and his regular co-writer Lola Mayo tell the story of a bored housewife (Carmen Machi) who, upon bedtime, dons heavy makeup and a black wig as she heads outside to wander the streets of Madrid with suitcase in hand – she cannot sleep because there is a constant buzz buzz buzz in the drum of her ear.
Reminiscent of Jacques Tati’s Monsieur Hulot, we observe her aimlessly walking for a majority of the film (in high heels, no less) as she witnesses the most mundane facets of Madrid’s nocturnal activities to its most absurd. Adding another layer to the aimlessness, the story coincides with the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
(Woman without Piano is scheduled to screen Nov. 1, 4 p.m., at Mann Chinese Theater, 6801 Hollywood Blvd. For more information: 866/AFI Fest; www.afi.com)
