On Falling | |
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Directed by | Laura Carreira |
Written by | Laura Carreira |
Produced by | Jack Thomas-O'Brien |
Starring | Joana Santos |
Cinematography | Karl Kürten |
Edited by | Helle Le Fevre |
Music by | Ines Adriana |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Conic (uk) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 104 minutes [1] |
Countries |
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Languages |
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Box office | $181,376 [2] |
On Falling is a 2024 social realist drama film, written and directed by Laura Carreira and starring Joana Santos. A British-Portuguese co-production, the film is Carreira's debut feature.
Set in Scotland, the plot follows the plight of Portuguese immigrant and warehouse worker Aurora, trapped in a life governed by wage slavery and social isolation and its repercussions, leading to her emotional breakdown.
The film is a British-Portuguese co-production by Sixteen Films and Bro Cinema, and it had support from BFI, BBC Film, Screen Scotland and ICA . [3] [4] It was the feature film debut for Carreira, previously known for her shorts The Shift and Red Hill. [5]
On Falling had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival as part of its Discovery programme. [3] It was presented at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival on 24 September 2024, [6] in competition for the Golden Shell; Carreira took the award for Best Director (ex-aequo) at the festival. It featured in the First Feature Competition of the 2024 BFI London Film Festival. [7] where it was awarded the Sutherland prize for Best First Feature.
Conic acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights, [8] and released it theatrically on 7 March 2025. [9] It also landed a distributor in the Benelux (Vedette), former Yugoslavia (MCF), Greece (Cinobo), Middle East (Teleview), Spain (Vértigo), and Switzerland (Frenetic). [8]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 94% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.4/10. [10]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "a very impressive debut". [11]
Matthew Joseph Jenner of International Cinephile Society rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, writing that it "conveys a very clear message and delivers it with genuine affection and attention to detail, which is important for a story that carries such resonance". [12]
Fionnuala Halligan of ScreenDaily pointed out how the film grows to become "an intense, enveloping experience". [13]
Sophie Monks Kaufman of IndieWire gave the film an 'A-' rating, deeming it to be "far better than anything living-political-legend Loach made during the final innings of his career". [14]
David Katz of Cineuropa declared the film "laudably a protest film clamouring for a better way of life, but it still evokes a story's first act mistaken for a whole feature". [3]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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San Sebastián International Film Festival | 28 September 2024 | Golden Shell | On Falling | Nominated | [15] [16] [17] |
RTVE-Another Look Award – Special Mention | Won | ||||
Silver Shell for Best Director | Laura Carreira | Won | |||
BFI London Film Festival | 20 October 2024 | Sutherland Award for Best First Feature | On Falling | Won | [18] [19] |