Loreak(Flowers)

Pelikula: Spanish Film Festival

Greenbelt 3 Cinema 1

I may be wrong yet I believe it is the first time a Spanish film using the Basque language was featured in the Pelikula film festival. It was strange to hear it spoken but the film itself didn't disappoint as regardless of the language used in the dialogue, it was able to retain its essence. A poignant movie that dealt with grief, melancholy and the stage of moving on after bereavement.

Its simple approach while handling such a heavy topic is much appreciated as the characters are quite expressive in their manner of accepting and dealing with the pain of losing a beloved soul.

It starts with Ane, a secretary who works at a construction site who has been diagnosed with the early onset of menopause. She is understandably depressed and stuck in a lonely marriage. 

One day, she starts receiving a bouquet of beautiful flowers but it has no card and no note. Same time, every day onward, the bouquets are delivered through a courier who doesn't know the sender. 

Intriguing premise as soon enough the viewer puts two and two together and surmise who is the sender of the flowers. Until a tragic incident leads to a twisting turn of events both for Ane as well as for the family of the sender as they grapple with their sudden loss.  

Honestly, grief is a very difficult topic to handle either in cinema or in real life. It is very painful and heartbreaking but "Loreak" manages to touch our raw nerves with resorting to a full blown hemorrhage.  And once all the characters involved with the incident are blended into one melting pot and questions are answered, the film takes on a serene and calming effect with a justified closure.

A deeply touching and movie film which I highly recommend to anyone who has lost a loved one and has dealt with grief in any form or shape.