NZIFF: Carmen

Sensual and simmering with tension, Black Swan and Dune choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s debut feature reimagines classic opera Carmen for the modern era, a musical drama set in the hotbed of the America–Mexico border.

Major up-and-coming stars Paul Mescal (Oscar-nominee for Aftersun NZIFF 2022) and Melissa Berrera (In the Heights) play star-crossed lovers from different sides of the US-Mexico border in the debut feature of choreographer Benjamin Millepied. Carmen (Berrera) is a steely young woman fleeing gang violence in the Mexican desert. Aidan (Mescal) is the moody and wayward ex-Marine who rescues her from the clutches of a violent American militia hunting illegal immigrants. On the run, the two fall into a steamy love affair as they try to make their way to Los Angeles. Millepied conjures fierce performances from his two stars, who showcase their musical and dancing talents amidst a sweltering, tense drama that daringly reimagines Bizet’s tragic opera of the same name. Nicholas Brittell, composer of Succession and Moonlight fame, punctures the film with his emphatic and, yes, operatic score.
Rated R13