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MY MOVIE TRIES ABOUT THE LOVE STORY BETWEEN TWO WOMEN THAT KEEP A SPECIAL INTENSITY IN THEIR LOVING FEELINGS. THE FREEDOM OF YOUR LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. MY MOVIE ALSO TRIES ABOUT THE NOSTALGIA OF THE FIRST LOVERS, ABOUT THE MEMORIES OF THE FIRST LOVING EXPERIENCES.

REVIEW of THE BREATH OF CELIA:

In love there will always be the struggle between what the heart wants and
what the mind will allow. Often our unbridled passions are met with resistance from insecurities within our brains. Miguel Ángel Barroso illustrates this beautifully with his new film, The Breath of Celia, where heart and mind are represented by two lovers exploring their passions for one another. Ama (Ainhoa Azcona), the more dominant and controlling of the two is driven by lust and desire for the more insecure and submissive Nely (Elle Ci), who spends much of the film blindfolded and on her knees. It is Ama who loosens the restraints and helps liberate the more shy Nely.
Barroso is a master at telling his story using all the elements of filmmaking. On the surface, not much happens in The Breath of Celia. Two women embrace and whisper sweet nothings to one another. Their story is told through voiceovers. It's all very poetic, very moody and sensual... a slow burn. It's Barroso's use of music, creative camera work and gorgeous lighting that sets the mood and atmosphere. This really is a beautiful looking film.
A lone cello, slow pans and deep contrast lighting with soft gentle colors all work to create Barroso's magic. He has the actors hold poses while the camera gently pushes in or establishes a beautiful reveal through sweeping camera movements. In today’s world of CGI and high adrenalin action movies, it's nice to see a director that has reached back to the golden era and rediscovered the art of filmmaking.
As the two lovers relive past encounters and relationships, one name in particular is mentioned, Celia. She is someone of significance to both women and apparently her breath was quite sweet and intoxicating. I believe Barroso relates the air we breathe and it's fragrance with our essence and the life within each of us. "Your breath has nothing to do with the clichés of breath... that they smell bad and all that. Your breath, Nely, tastes good. It tastes good in the air. I'd inhale it constantly. Your breath, Nely, is an adolescent smell..."
Barroso puts a lot of imagery to work in his story telling. In another section he refers to blood and viscera, "I've always like blood, because it boils. It boils. And it's hot. In poems there's always a lot of blood. It's pictorial blood that refers to hidden passions. O salacious moments. How much blood must we spill to love properly?" "We confused love with the experience of those feelings that surface when the viscera is overexcited." He relates passion and lust to very physical sensations, deep within our bodies, from boiling blood to the life-giving air that we breathe.
Those enticed by the concept of two beautiful and scantily clad lovers may be disappointed. This is a fairytale... a fantasy, but nothing pornographic in nature. There is a moment towards the end where Ama dominates Nely and things do appear to be taking a slight turn, but it never reaches anything close to an R rating.
My only concern with this film, as with all films dubbed or subtitled, is the language barrier. Translating dialogue may adequately convey the meaning, but it often loses its heart and soul in the process. I've sat in auditoriums, watching in confusion as the audience roars in laughter, and never got the joke. I don't think that will be the case here, but I do believe some of the subtleties and nuances may have lost their magic. Which is unfortunate as this is a work of passion that is beautifully done.
The Breath of Celia is deeply poetic and romantic. Its flowery use of language and slow pace may not be for everyone’s taste. Truly, this is an arthouse film to its core. I see it as a throwback to an age where less is more and more is left to the imagination. Truly a breath of fresh air... breath as sweet as Celia's!

Brian Lutes August 29, 2019
CREATION INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

REVIEW of The Breath of Celia:

I've been judging films for years and have written dozens of reviews. Just when I think I've got this down to a science, one comes along leaving me scratching my head.
Miguel Barroso is an award winning author and filmmaker who has written
and directed several projects, of which I've reviewed and awarded a few. He is a director I truly respect and someone I can learn from.
His new film, The Breath of Celia, left me truly grasping for words. Visually, it is beautiful, as are all Barroso projects. It’s a short film about two lovers musing on their affection for one another. The women, played by Ainhoa Azcona and Elle Ci are both quite beautiful. The camera work and lighting are spot on as are the voiceover dialogue and musical score. The production is technically quite solid. Miguel knows how to make a good looking film.
If I were to come up with a comparison, it would be to the Song of Solomon or the Song of Songs from the Old Testament, where two lovers celebrate their affection for one another. It’s a poetic gushing of erotic encounters and sexual intimacy. The Breath of Celia is much the same.
The film opens with the two women facing each other in silence. There is a passionate kiss and a lone cello begins to set the mood (a perfect score for this film). A moment later they are separated. Ama sits in a chair reading a book of poetry; Nely, on her knees, is blindfolded.
The story is told through voiceover narration from both characters as they interact through kisses and embracing. The dialogue is quite poetic and reflective. The mood moves from moments of insecurity and apprehension to erotic delight. They reminisce and describe past loves, which is how we
discover the significance of the name Celia. She was a first love and someone whose breath was apparently quite intoxicating.
The concept works and the casting and production are spot on. The dialogue is, unfortunately, just too over the top for my taste. Without question, there is always going to be emotion and sensibility lost in translation. TheBreath of Celia is a Spanish language film and no matter how solid Joanne Maddocks’ interpretation is, it will never deliver with the same impact as in its original language.
Dialogue such as, "Your breath has nothing to do with the clichés of breath... that they smell bad and all that. Your breath, Nely, tastes good. It tastes good in the air. I'd inhale it constantly. Your breath, Nely, is an adolescent smell..." does not deliver with the impact Barroso intended. We are then told of a girl back in school with breath as intoxicating as Nely's and this girl’s name was Celia. I understand this to be a clever way of explaining the title and tying it all together, but I'm not so sure this will fly with English viewers. For many, it will come across as dated and overly saccharine. The flowery dialogue mixed with the occasional random posing of the actresses may not have the desired effect, I'm afraid.
Overall, I liked the film, because I like the way Barroso's mind works. I get what he was after and appreciate the effort. Finishing with the BDSM near the end seemed to complete the emotional journey the two lovers were experiencing. Is this my favorite Barroso film? No... but I'm still a fan.

Brian Lutes July 21, 2019

He is dedicated to film criticism and is a film writer, poet and filmmaker. He has participated in the organization of several film festivals as Head of Programming.
He has published among other books: La bella Patricia (Narrativa) (2000); Pier Paolo Pasolini: the brutality of coherence (2000); Erotic Cinema in 100 Days (2001); Spanish Cinema in 100 Films (2002); Michelangelo Antonioni: Technically Dolce (2006), Marcello Mastroianni From A to Z (2007); The 100 Best Italian Movies in the History of Cinema (2008); The Hundred Best Movies of the 20th Century; The 100 Best French Movies in the History of Cinema (2009); The Hundred Best British Movies of the History of Cinema (2011); He has published several books of poetry among which stand out: Insensitive movements of chameleon; Poetry in heat; Poems of aggression; Three notebooks of love; I went to Hunt the devil.
HE HAS DIRECTED: INFARTO CON ROTURA DE CORAZÓN (2011); HISTORIAS DE LIMA (2012); EVALUNA (2013); PIERPAOLO (2016); MALA: APUNTES DE UNA CIUDAD (2017); THE BREATH OF CELIA (2019); URBAN (2019).

MY MOVIE TRIES ABOUT THE LOVE STORY BETWEEN TWO WOMEN THAT KEEP A SPECIAL INTENSITY IN THEIR LOVING FEELINGS. THE FREEDOM OF YOUR LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. MY MOVIE ALSO TRIES ABOUT THE NOSTALGIA OF THE FIRST LOVERS, ABOUT THE MEMORIES OF THE FIRST LOVING EXPERIENCES.

REVIEW of THE BREATH OF CELIA:

In love there will always be the struggle between what the heart wants and
what the mind will allow. Often our unbridled passions are met with resistance from insecurities within our brains. Miguel Ángel Barroso illustrates this beautifully with his new film, The Breath of Celia, where heart and mind are represented by two lovers exploring their passions for one another. Ama (Ainhoa Azcona), the more dominant and controlling of the two is driven by lust and desire for the more insecure and submissive Nely (Elle Ci), who spends much of the film blindfolded and on her knees. It is Ama who loosens the restraints and helps liberate the more shy Nely.
Barroso is a master at telling his story using all the elements of filmmaking. On the surface, not much happens in The Breath of Celia. Two women embrace and whisper sweet nothings to one another. Their story is told through voiceovers. It's all very poetic, very moody and sensual... a slow burn. It's Barroso's use of music, creative camera work and gorgeous lighting that sets the mood and atmosphere. This really is a beautiful looking film.
A lone cello, slow pans and deep contrast lighting with soft gentle colors all work to create Barroso's magic. He has the actors hold poses while the camera gently pushes in or establishes a beautiful reveal through sweeping camera movements. In today’s world of CGI and high adrenalin action movies, it's nice to see a director that has reached back to the golden era and rediscovered the art of filmmaking.
As the two lovers relive past encounters and relationships, one name in particular is mentioned, Celia. She is someone of significance to both women and apparently her breath was quite sweet and intoxicating. I believe Barroso relates the air we breathe and it's fragrance with our essence and the life within each of us. "Your breath has nothing to do with the clichés of breath... that they smell bad and all that. Your breath, Nely, tastes good. It tastes good in the air. I'd inhale it constantly. Your breath, Nely, is an adolescent smell..."
Barroso puts a lot of imagery to work in his story telling. In another section he refers to blood and viscera, "I've always like blood, because it boils. It boils. And it's hot. In poems there's always a lot of blood. It's pictorial blood that refers to hidden passions. O salacious moments. How much blood must we spill to love properly?" "We confused love with the experience of those feelings that surface when the viscera is overexcited." He relates passion and lust to very physical sensations, deep within our bodies, from boiling blood to the life-giving air that we breathe.
Those enticed by the concept of two beautiful and scantily clad lovers may be disappointed. This is a fairytale... a fantasy, but nothing pornographic in nature. There is a moment towards the end where Ama dominates Nely and things do appear to be taking a slight turn, but it never reaches anything close to an R rating.
My only concern with this film, as with all films dubbed or subtitled, is the language barrier. Translating dialogue may adequately convey the meaning, but it often loses its heart and soul in the process. I've sat in auditoriums, watching in confusion as the audience roars in laughter, and never got the joke. I don't think that will be the case here, but I do believe some of the subtleties and nuances may have lost their magic. Which is unfortunate as this is a work of passion that is beautifully done.
The Breath of Celia is deeply poetic and romantic. Its flowery use of language and slow pace may not be for everyone’s taste. Truly, this is an arthouse film to its core. I see it as a throwback to an age where less is more and more is left to the imagination. Truly a breath of fresh air... breath as sweet as Celia's!

Brian Lutes August 29, 2019
CREATION INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

REVIEW of The Breath of Celia:

I've been judging films for years and have written dozens of reviews. Just when I think I've got this down to a science, one comes along leaving me scratching my head.
Miguel Barroso is an award winning author and filmmaker who has written
and directed several projects, of which I've reviewed and awarded a few. He is a director I truly respect and someone I can learn from.
His new film, The Breath of Celia, left me truly grasping for words. Visually, it is beautiful, as are all Barroso projects. It’s a short film about two lovers musing on their affection for one another. The women, played by Ainhoa Azcona and Elle Ci are both quite beautiful. The camera work and lighting are spot on as are the voiceover dialogue and musical score. The production is technically quite solid. Miguel knows how to make a good looking film.
If I were to come up with a comparison, it would be to the Song of Solomon or the Song of Songs from the Old Testament, where two lovers celebrate their affection for one another. It’s a poetic gushing of erotic encounters and sexual intimacy. The Breath of Celia is much the same.
The film opens with the two women facing each other in silence. There is a passionate kiss and a lone cello begins to set the mood (a perfect score for this film). A moment later they are separated. Ama sits in a chair reading a book of poetry; Nely, on her knees, is blindfolded.
The story is told through voiceover narration from both characters as they interact through kisses and embracing. The dialogue is quite poetic and reflective. The mood moves from moments of insecurity and apprehension to erotic delight. They reminisce and describe past loves, which is how we
discover the significance of the name Celia. She was a first love and someone whose breath was apparently quite intoxicating.
The concept works and the casting and production are spot on. The dialogue is, unfortunately, just too over the top for my taste. Without question, there is always going to be emotion and sensibility lost in translation. TheBreath of Celia is a Spanish language film and no matter how solid Joanne Maddocks’ interpretation is, it will never deliver with the same impact as in its original language.
Dialogue such as, "Your breath has nothing to do with the clichés of breath... that they smell bad and all that. Your breath, Nely, tastes good. It tastes good in the air. I'd inhale it constantly. Your breath, Nely, is an adolescent smell..." does not deliver with the impact Barroso intended. We are then told of a girl back in school with breath as intoxicating as Nely's and this girl’s name was Celia. I understand this to be a clever way of explaining the title and tying it all together, but I'm not so sure this will fly with English viewers. For many, it will come across as dated and overly saccharine. The flowery dialogue mixed with the occasional random posing of the actresses may not have the desired effect, I'm afraid.
Overall, I liked the film, because I like the way Barroso's mind works. I get what he was after and appreciate the effort. Finishing with the BDSM near the end seemed to complete the emotional journey the two lovers were experiencing. Is this my favorite Barroso film? No... but I'm still a fan.

Brian Lutes July 21, 2019