Coming to terms with aging, life and death, and losing people you love is uncomfortable. Human emotions like deep sorrow, unconditional love and nostalgia can be uncomfortable. Change can be confronting. Transferring emotions into films that hold people in their arms is a skill. It’s one of the skills for which up-and-coming Spanish director, Amanda Lago, is known.
Lago’s latest film, Mrs. Poucheau, which launched on International Women’s Day, shows off those skills. It’s the story of a woman – a mother and daughter, wife and widow, lover and friend. The woman is searching for a way to accept the new reality of her present life. The woman is played by actress and singer, Cachito Noguera. The connection to her past is played by a doll, Mrs. Poucheau.
Lago’s job was to use her visual prowess to convey words that are usually internal without conveying self-pity – to elicit empathy instead. To allow her audience to find familiarity in script writer, Raul Ferrer’s, story.
Lago commented, “The idea behind Mrs. Poucheau was born at a point in my life when death was present. It’s a film about fear, sorrow and nostalgia, but also strength and unconditional love. In Mrs. Poucheau, death and life come together with their roles almost reversed. Living comes across as mundane and banal, whereas dying is seen as alluring and inviting.”
Noguera added, “This is a special story of the very private life of a woman who is touching life and death. Sometimes she feels overjoyed like a teenager, she would conquer the world. But suddenly she realises that is not her reality. Mrs. Poucheau is the kind of beautiful screenplay that can never be refused.”
Lago has directed commercials, series, fashion films and music videos. Her video for musician, Fatal Tiger, won Best Song Soundie 2017 at Soundie Music Video Awards:
And the second film from her series, Alex y Teo, won Video of the Day on VOTD:
The strength of Mrs. Poucheau lies in how the film is able to address an uncomfortable topic through its beautiful cinematic language and carefully worded script. Thoughts that often internalised shine through this highly emotional piece without any self-pity, only empathy. In less than five minutes Mrs. Poucheau shares an incredibly powerful, yet familiar story of a woman’s journey in accepting change and appreciating its beauty.
Amanda Lago
View Lago’s work here.
Credits:
Director & Editor: Amanda Lago
Director of Photography: Diego Aldabaldetrecu
Art Director: Isis Decoura
Music Producer: Horror.Vacui
Script: Raul Ferrer
