06/08/2021 - The actress, who’s now all the rage after Pedro Almodóvar gave her a starring role in Parallel Mothers, is heading up the cast of this social drama with a trash aesthetic

Actresses Olivia Baglivi and Milena Smit on the set of Libélulas

Olivia Baglivi and Milena Smit play Álex and Cata, respectively, in this story of friendship: they were born and bred in the outskirts, a desolate backland full of empty shops and run-down bars, surrounded by mountains where their dreams reverberate and eventually fade away, and where beauty is a mere illusion. They’ve spent their whole lives planning their escape, looking for a safe passage through which to flee from their present and be able to forget about their past. This is the story of Libélulas [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the feature debut by Luc Knowles, the shoot for which has just wrapped, having taken place in Madrid and Segovia over the course of 24 days.

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One of its leads, Milena Smit, is the real golden girl at the moment, after having been hired by Pedro Almodóvar to star alongside Penélope Cruz and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón in Parallel Mothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile], the feature that will have the honour of opening the imminent Venice Film Festival just a few days before its Spanish theatrical release, slated for 10 September (see the news). However, before that, Smit outdid herself as the shady and sexy Mila in the film Cross the Line [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Victori
film profile], toplined by Mario Casas and directed by David Victori, for which she picked up a Goya nomination (for Best New Actress). Right now, the promising thesp is immersed in the shoot for Tin&Tina [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the feature debut by Rubin Stein, appearing alongside Jaime Lorente.

For her part, the less well-known – at least for now – Olivia Baglivi, who previously worked with the director of Libélulas on the music video for "Wondering", which this film is based on, stood out among the cast of Ramón Luque’s Rosalinda [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]. In addition, she performed – together with Marta Hazas and María Pedraza – in Jota Linares’ new outing for Netflix, Crystal Girls; she made an appearance in Zoe Berriatúa’s Los héroes del mal [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]; and she has been involved in series of the likes of Elite, Drug Squad: Costa del Sol and Cuéntame cómo pasó.

According to its production company, Libélulas – which boasts a screenplay written by the director himself – delves into the daily lives of the two main characters, their families and their circle of friends, in the weeks leading up to Álex’s departure. The money they’ve saved, the drugs they’ve stolen and a betrayal will blow the girls’ lives wide open, with the delicate flight of these “dragonflies” upended by some strong turbulence.

Born to a Spanish father and an English mother, Luc Knowles grew up in Madrid and Alicante. A Sociology graduate from the UA and subsequently getting a master’s in Film Studies at the UWE, he kicked off his audiovisual career by directing music videos for artists of the likes of John Vermont, Reyko, Fernando Costa, Follone and Oddliquor, then contributing his aesthetic and narrative prowess to the world of advertising, where he has worked for agencies of the calibre of Mccan, Ogilvy, Lola, &Rosas, Double You, Casanova, DDB, Equipo Singular and BBDO, and clients such as Xiaomi, Vogue, Nike, Axa, Martin Codax, Cortefiel, Airbnb and Toyota. Libélulas, a social drama with a trash aesthetic, is his feature debut.

Libélulas – the cast of which is rounded off by Javi Collado and Rakel Brel – is an independent production by Clapham Films (Lavapiés).

(Translated from Spanish)