– Luis Zahera, Roberto Álamo, Luis Callejo, José Manuel Poga and Inma Cuesta lead the cast of the production by Esto También Pasará and Bowfinger International Pictures
Luis Zahera, Roberto Álamo and Luis Callejo in Winter Lions
Filmed over seven weeks on location in Madrid and the Canary Islands, Winter Lions is the new film directed by Albert Pintó (director of episodes of Money Heist and Berlin, and films such as 32 Malasaña Street and Barren Land). The project marks his reunion Luis Zahera, the two-time Goya Award winner (The Realm and The Beasts) , following their collaboration on Barren Land.
The cast of Winter Lions, now in post-production, also includes Roberto Álamo (two Goya awards for Family United and May God Save Us), Luis Callejo (three-time Goya nominee, this year in La luz), José Manuel Poga (the series Burning Body, The Captive), Inma Cuesta (three-time Goya nominee, most recently for The Bride), María Romanillos (La casa) and Amaia Aberasturi (Akelarre). Special guest appearances come from Ana Wagener (Goya winner for The Sleeping Voice), Irene Escolar (Goya winner for Un otoño sin Berlín, recently in Ariel), Uruguayan actor Nicolás Furtado (Me he hecho viral) and Jordi Mollà (five-time Goya nominee, recently seen in US productions such as Pet Shop Days).
Written by Juma Fodde (Lobo feroz, You Shall Not Sleep) and based on the novel of the same name by Carlos Augusto Casas, the film is a dramatic thriller that unfolds following after a tragedy that brings together a group of outlaws. It tells the story of how the sudden loss of a daughter exposes the different ways her parents copes with grief, and how, in the midst of that immense pain, the father breaks down — unleashing the “lion” within him, a beast he believed long buried. His determination to uncover the truth and seek justice on his own terms will lead him into a web of corruption, power and organised crime. He soon finds himself on a path of no return, for there is something more dangerous than a father defending his children: a father who no longer has children to defend.
As the director explains: “Winter Lions is a story about grief and violence, about the weight of the past and the impossibility of emerging unscathed when one decides to cross certain lines. A feature film that takes an unflinching look at broken, imperfect and deeply human characters, and poses an uncomfortable yet essential question: when the worst moment of our lives arrives, are we really who we thought we were?”
Producer Álvaro Ariza (Esto También Pasará) adds: “This is a thriller that delves into the most uncomfortable aspects: the different ways of coping with loss and the reality that violence always finds a crack through which to seep. The film doesn’t seek easy answers; it confronts us with an idea that violence, however justified it may seem, only breeds more violence.”
Winter Lions is produced by Esto También Pasará and Bowfinger International Pictures (with María Luisa Gutiérrez as executive producer), in co-production with Glow Animation, Leones en Invierno AIE and Litolux, and in association with Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia. The project involves Prime Video, RTVE and Crea SGR in association with Mogambo and Film Factory Entertainment (which is handling international sales), as well as support from the Community of Madrid and the ICAA. The film will be released soon in Spanish cinemas, distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia.
(Translated from Spanish)
