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Advantages of Travelling by Train

Aritz Moreno

France, Spain1h 44Belgian premiere Black Comedy Surreal Thriller

Synopsis

“Imagine a woman coming home and surprising her husband inspecting his own shit with a popsicle stick”. That’s the opening phrase of Aritz Moreno’s first feature. It’s the perfect taster for what’s to come. What could be more innocent than starting a conversation on the train with the person you’re sitting across, right? Wrong. When Helga, a Madrilenian editor, is addressed by a fellow passenger, a good-looking psychiatrist called Angel, she seems instantly charmed. And yet the simple question “Do you mind hearing about my life?” is going to open up infernal gates, to the weirdest, most off-beat circles of Hell that even Dante didn’t want to write about. It’s impossible to say more without spoiling the trip… Well, OK, a couple of words: “Orphanage”, “Garbage”, “Doggy-style”, “One-armed army man”. It’s pretty indescribable and a true kamikaze undertaking by Moreno, who adapted Antonio Orejudo’s delirious book. A book most experienced directors wouldn’t dare poke with a stick, while Moreno dives head-first into the madness and actually pulls it off! The result is a Russian doll of a story that intertwines different stories that’ll make you scratch your head, grind your teeth, laugh nervously or all the above simultaneously. So if you’re up to it, hop on! We hope you have a pleasant ride.

Trailer

Director
Aritz Moreno
Country
France, Spain
Premiere
Belgian premiere
Running time
1h 44
Cast
Luis Tosar, Pilar Castro, Ernesto Alterio, Belén Cuesta, Macarena García, Quim Gutiérrez, Javier Godino, Stéphanie Magnin, Javier Botet , Gilbert Melki
Edition
Edition 2020