Subscribe      List an Event or Business      Invite a Writer      Write for WN      Writers      Other Locations
list an event      1 million Australian readers every month      facebook

Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea - Review @ Moro Spanish Film Festival 2022

Home > Adelaide > Cinema | Community Events | Cultural Events | Film Reviews | Fun Things To Do
by Jen (subscribe)
Please 'CLICK LIKE' if you enjoyed what you read. The more 'likes' it has, the more exposure the event receives.
Event: -
The Law of the Sea dictates that life must be protected

Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea is part of this year's Moro Spanish Film Festival. Find Festival Dates in your state that ranges from 19 April to 18 May 2022 and catch as many gems as you can at the cinema. A true-life origins story, this is a film rated aged 18 plus and directed by Marcel Barrena. This 112 min biography, drama, adventure stars Eduard Fernandez, Dani Rovira, Anna Castillo, Sergi Lopez, Alex Monner, and Melika Foroutan. It was a Winner of Best Cinematography, Best Original Song, Goya Awards 2022; Best Original Score, Visual Effects, Audience Award, Gaudí Awards 2022 and Winner BNL People's Choice Award, Rome Film Fest 2021. It shines a light on Southern Europe's refugee crisis. Of Syrians fleeing from civil war in their homeland, trying to make it into Europe. It's also a tale of redemption for one man, estranged from his wife and daughter.

mediterraneo the law of the sea review, community event, fun things to do, cinema, cultural event, moro spanish film festival 2022, actors, entertainment, performing arts, foreign films, subtitled films, date night, night life
Images © Arcadia Motion Pictures et al

Based on the true story of the founder of NGO Open Arms, Òscar Camps, Mediterráneo is a tale of humanity, justice and solidarity. It's Autumn 2015 and Spanish lifeguard Òscar (Eduard Fernández is profoundly affected by the heart-wrenching photograph of a young Syrian-Kurdish boy drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, his lifeless body lying on a beach, washed by waves, after the dinghy he was in capsized. He decides to leave all his responsibilities behind, to travel to Lesbos, Greece to offer assistance, along with friend and fellow lifeguard Gerard (Dani Rovira). Once there, they are faced with the shocking reality that the problem is far bigger than they initially thought. Thousands of people were risking life and limb daily, crossing the sea in less than sea-worthy vessels, fleeing from the life-threatening realities of a civil war in their homeland.

Shockingly, no rescue work was being carried out to save or help the fleeing thousands. Authorities were turning a blind eye to what was happening on their shores, and Òscar and Gerard were met with open resistance and at times, hostility, every which way they turned. Meant to stay just two days, it turns to months, till finally they were joined by Nico (Sergi López) who runs the business for Òscar, and Òscar's daughter Esther (Anna Castillo). This voyage that charts the story of ruptured and reunited families will turn into a life-changing odyssey for all.


Living in Australia, and influenced by TV series' like Bay Watch, we have a certain perception of how lifeguards look - tanned all over, young and fit. Faced with the ageing protagonist, initially, it's a bit hard to swallow that this origin-based story had any credibility at all. Kudos to the actor (Eduard Fernández) who displayed strong swimming techniques once in the water, that put your mind at rest that he was easily capable of saving lives. His performance easily convinces you that we are sometimes called upon compellingly to do something great with our lives. He was driven to save those no one cared about. He was a lifeguard. His job was to save lives drowning at sea.

This film's strength lies in the overall story, and not individual performances. It's an act of humanity that by its act alone, changed the perception of all those sitting on the fence - compelling the resisting to act and save human lives, no matter where they came from. It's heartbreaking to imagine the reality that was, and from this base, you can't help but be emotionally invested in what's unfolding before you. This life-changing awakening in Òscar became his life mission and became the now celebrated NGO Open Arms, an open sea migrant search and rescue mission that has saved some 60,000 men, women and children since 2015. This film is dedicated to all those who made it across and to those who lost their lives trying.



Help us improve  Click here if you liked this article  28
Share: email  facebook  twitter
Why? Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea Film Review
When: 19 Apr to 18 May 2022
Where: Moro Spanish Film Festival 2022 - Australia-wide
Your Comment
Featured
123
Top Events
117
Popular Articles
62
Categories
Lists
Questions