Upon Entry

2022 Spanish film

Upon Entry

Theatrical release poster

Spanish| Upon Entry (La llegada)
Directed by|

* Alejandro Rojas
* Juan Sebastián Vásquez

Screenplay by|

* Alejandro Rojas
* Juan Sebastián Vásquez

Produced by|

* Carles Torras
* Carlos Juárez
* Xosé Zapata
* Sergio Adrià
* Alba Sotorra

Starring|

* Alberto Ammann
* Bruna Cusí
* Ben Temple
* Laura Gómez

Cinematography| Juan Sebastián Vásquez
Edited by| Emanuele Tiziani

Production
companies

* Zabriskie Films
* Basque Films
* Sygnatia

Distributed by| Karma Films

Release dates

* November 2022 (2022-11) (PÖFF)
* 16 June 2023 (2023-06-16) (Spain)

Country| Spain
Languages|

* Spanish
* English
* Catalan

Upon Entry (released as Upon Entry (La llegada) in Spain) is a 2022 Spanish drama film directed by Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez (in their directorial debut feature). It stars Alberto Ammann and Bruna Cusí alongside Ben Temple and Laura Gómez.

The plot concerns the unpleasant vetting and questioning procedures that the couple Diego (a Venezuelan urbanist) and Elena (a contemporary dancer from Barcelona) suffers at the Newark Airport upon moving from Barcelona to the United States to start off a new life.[1][2]

## Plot

[edit]

Diego (a Venezuelan urbanist) and Elena (a Barcelona dancer) fly to the United States together, as she has won a Green Card Lottery visa and they are a pareja de hecho or common-law couple. Both are nervously excited to start their new life together.

Arriving at Newark Airport passport control, as the nervous Diego misplaced the I-9 Declaration form, Elena fills out another. Watching the available agents, as one appears to let people through more quickly, Diego is pleased they get him.

However, after scanning their passports, the agent fingerprints them and takes their photos before escourting them to a secondary inspection area. Both are concerned, but when they mention their connecting flight to Miami, it does not speed up the process.

After 30 minutes the couple are asked to sit and wait more. As she had not eaten on the plane, Elena asks if there is food or water available, but is told no. Diego discourages her from asking more questions, as he fears they will have problems if they appear difficult.

Brought into a small interrogation room, their bags are thoroughly searched again. When asked to turn off and lock away his phone, Diego resists slightly as he had planned to see his brother in New York before continuing to Florida. However, the agent suggests time constraints could make that difficult.

A drug-sniffing dog goes over them and their luggage. Then they both are given thorough body searches, and the agent bags some of Elena's insulin and a needle. The couple are left alone to await their interview. Once alone, Elena is indignant about the search, unaware it was a possibility. Diego wonders if they are being watched.

A female agent enters, and one by one asks for a series of documents, social media account information, again about birth dates. Elena voices her annoyance to Diego in Spanish, to which the agent responds in perfect Spanish and suggests they answer truthfully as lying is considered a criminal offense.

When asked if they have another nationality, Diego says he is a Spanish resident through Elena, as his partner. The agent points out he should have waited for his Spanish nationality acceptance before travelling. Diego explains they needed to come before Elena's Diversity visa expired. The agent then confirms he had applied on two previous occasions unsuccessfully. Diego also has other family members who were unsuccessful at getting the visa.

When asked why theirs is a civil union and not a marriage, they indicate they do not see it necessary. They are interrogated about work, to give specifics as to their experience and why they specifically chose the US, rather than another EU country etc. Elena asks why they are repeating the same questions as those in the embassy, she is told they are checking due to new info they received.

As the interview goes on, Diego is further prodded, as he was in the US four years ago, and also in a similar secondary interview. He admits her questions are making him nervous. The agent asks Diego about Kate, a Miami woman he had met online ten years his senior, with which he had almost entered the US on a fiancé visa with. Elena has no knowledge of her and is upset to learn he broke it off with Kate after meeting her.

Diego is then interviewed by two agents. She tries to get him to admit he is only out to get his green card, under threat of deporting him to Venezuela, where he once had been kidnapped by the authorities. Elena is next barraged with questions, and they make her realise how little she would see her family. Also, she is reminded that when they have kids, their upkeep is expensive. They plant doubt about Diego's intentions, then the male agent tries to force Elena to prove she can dance.

Returning to the waiting room, Diego can see Elena has been crying. She says she just wants to return to Barcelona. They both realize they gave different answers about her knowledge of his former engagement. Called up to the desk, after realizing they missed the flight to Miami, they are surprised to be welcomed to the US.

## Cast

[edit]

* Alberto Ammann as Diego[3]
* Bruna Cusí as Elena[3]
* Ben Temple as Agent Barrett[3]
* Laura Gómez as Agent Vasquez[3]

## Production

[edit]

Written and directed by Venezuelan filmmakers Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez, Upon Entry is based on the helmers' personal experiences as immigrants.[2] The film is a Spanish co-production by Zabriskie Films, Basque Films, and Sygnatia, with the participation of TV3, and the support from ICEC [ca], the Madrid regional administration, the Basque Government and Creative Europe's MEDIA.[1][4]

## Release

[edit]

Upon Entry screened at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) in November 2022.[4] It also made it to the official selection of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival.[1] It was picked up by Charades and Anonymous Content ahead of its screening at the South by Southwest (SXSW) for its North-American premiere.[2] It also received screenings at the 26th Málaga Film Festival and BAFICI.[5] Distributed by Karma Films,[6] it was released theatrically in Spain on 16 June 2023.

Charades closed distribution deals in Italy (Exit Media), Japan (Shochiku), Portugal (Alambique), India (PictureWorks), CIS (Pionier), and France (Condor Distribution).[7]

## Reception

[edit]

According to the American review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Upon Entry has a 100% approval rating based on 11 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 8.0/10.[8]

Júlia Olmo of Cineuropa assessed that despite the film seemingly touching towards its end upon the clichés it managed to steer clear of before, it "manages to be an enjoyable film", "to achieve its verisimilitude and to make us forget for a while" "that we are watching a fictional film".[4]

Jonathan Holland of ScreenDaily considered that the film "plays out in that grey zone where legitimate questioning ends and the state torture manual begins", pointing out how generating "so much drama from what is basically 74 minutes of people talking across a table at one another is very clever film making indeed".[3]

Jordi Batlle Caminal of Fotogramas rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting the entire cast as the best thing about the film.[9]

### Top ten lists

[edit]

The film appeared on a number of critics' top ten lists of the best Spanish films of 2023:

* 1st — Mondosonoro (consensus)[10]
* 2nd — El Cultural (critics)[11]
* 7th — El Periódico de Catalunya (critics)[12]
* 8th — El Español (Series & Más consensus)[13]
* 10th — El Confidencial (consensus)[14]

## Accolades

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category | Nominee(s)  | Result | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

2022

| 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | FIPRESCI Award | Won | [15]
28th Kolkata International Film Festival | Golden Bengal Royal Tiger Award for Best Film | Won | [16]

2023

| 26th Málaga Film Festival | Silver Biznaga for Best Actor | Alberto Ammann | Won | [17]
23rd Golden Trailer Awards | Best Independent Trailer (for film budget shot under $1.5Million US) | Upon Entry (ZEALOT) | Won | [18]
29th Forqué Awards | Best Film | Nominated | [19]
Best Actor in a Film | Alberto Ammann | Nominated

2024

| 11th Feroz Awards | Best Drama Film | Nominated |

[20]

Best Actor in a Film | Alberto Ammann | Nominated
Best Screenplay | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez | Won
16th Gaudí Awards | Best Non-Catalan Language Film | Nominated | [21]
Best New Director | Juan Sebastián Vásquez, Alejandro Rojas | Nominated
Best Original Screenplay | Juan Sebastián Vásquez, Alejandro Rojas | Won
Best Actress | Bruna Cusí | Nominated
Best Actor | Alberto Ammann | Nominated
79th CEC Medals | Best New Director | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vasquez | Nominated | [22]
Best Original Screenplay | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vasquez | Nominated
38th Goya Awards | Best Actor | Alberto Ammann | Nominated | [23]
Best New Director | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez | Nominated
Best Original Screenplay | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez | Nominated
39th Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature | Nominated | [24]
Best First Screenplay | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez | Nominated
Best Editing | Emanuele Tiziani | Nominated
32nd Actors and Actresses Union Awards | Best Film Actor in a Leading Role | Alberto Ammann | Nominated | [25][26]

## See also

[edit]

* List of Spanish films of 2023

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c ""Upon Entry", a la secció oficial del festival de Kolkata Film Festival". Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals. 20 December 2022.
2. ^ a b c Keslassy, Elsa (18 January 2023). "Charades, Anonymous Content Team on Spanish Psychological Thriller 'Upon Entry' Ahead of SXSW (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
3. ^ a b c d e Holland, Jonathan (15 March 2023). "'Upon Entry': Malaga Review". ScreenDaily.
4. ^ a b c Olmo, Júlia (29 November 2022). "Review: Upon Entry". Cineuropa.
5. ^ Belategui, Oskar (17 June 2023). "'Upon Entry': Una pesadilla en el aeropuerto muy real". El Correo. Grupo Vocento.
6. ^ Sánchez Sequera, Marco (13 June 2023). "'Upon Entry (La llegada)' – estreno en cines 16 de junio". Audiovisual451.
7. ^ Leffler, Rebecca (4 May 2023). "Spanish SXSW title 'Upon Entry' thrills for Charades in France, key territories (exclusive)". ScreenDaily.
8. ^ "Upon Entry". RottenTomatoes. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
9. ^ Batlle Caminal, Jordi (16 June 2023). "Crítica de 'Upon Entry', el thriller kafkiano de Alberto Ammann y Bruna Cusí". Fotogramas.
10. ^ "Las mejores películas nacionales de 2023". Mondosonoro. 26 December 2023.
11. ^ "Las 10 mejores películas españolas de 2023, el año de 'Cerrar los ojos'". El Cultural. 21 December 2023 - via El Español.
12. ^ Casas, Quim (22 December 2023). "Las 10 mejores películas españolas de 2023". El Periódico de Catalunya. Prensa Ibérica.
13. ^ Prieto, Belén; Morillo, Valentina (24 December 2023). "Las 10 mejores películas españolas de 2023". Series & Más - via El Español.
14. ^ Medina, Marta (21 December 2023). "Las 10 mejores películas españolas de 2023: niños robados, sexualidad femenina y monjas, muchas monjas". El Confidencial.
15. ^ "Alberto Ammann y Bruna Cusí retenidos al intentar entrar en EEUU en 'Upon Entry'". Cine con Ñ. 16 December 2022.
16. ^ Dasgupta, Priyanka (23 December 2022). "Curtains on Kolkata International Film Festival with two films from Bangladesh & Spain sharing top Rs 51 lakh award". The Times of India.
17. ^ Meza, Ed (18 March 2023). "Spain's '20,000 Species of Bees,' Panamanian Drama 'Sister & Sister' Win Malaga Film Festival's Golden Biznagas". Variety.
18. ^ Pedersen, Erik (June 29, 2023). "Golden Trailer Awards: Cocaine Bear, Only Murders In The Building & Oppenheimer Among Top Winners – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
19. ^ "Palmarés completo de los Premios Forqué 2023: '20.000 especies de abejas' y 'La Mesías' lideran la apertura de la temporada". Cinemanía. 17 December 2023 - via 20minutos.es.
20. ^ Álvarez Patilla, Diego (27 January 2024). "» Cultura Premios Feroz 2024: '20.000 especies de abejas', 'Robot Dreams' y 'La Mesías' dominan la lista de ganadores". rtve.es.
21. ^ Oteo, Jana (5 February 2024). "Premios Gaudí 2024: Lista completa de los ganadores". La Razón.
22. ^ "Candidaturas de los Premios del Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos, Medallas CEC". Decine21. 28 December 2023.
23. ^ "Premios Goya 2024 | Palmarés completo: todos los ganadores de la gran noche de 'La sociedad de la nieve'". Cinemanía. 11 February 2024 - via 20minutos.es.
24. ^ Keates, Emma (December 5, 2023). "Here are all the nominees for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit awards". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
25. ^ "Todos los nominados de la 32 edición de los Premios Unión de Actores y Actrices de España". Escribiendo Cine. 4 February 2024.
26. ^ "Todos los ganadores de los 32 Premios de la Unión de Actores y Actrices de España". Escribiendo Cine. 11 March 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Upon Entry at IMDb

*[Ref.]: Reference