EVERYBODY KNOWS

To quote Leonard Cohen (and the title of the film) – ‘everybody knows’ – what is hidden beneath the surface of everyday life, from family scandals to political underground realities. And few understand this knowing/not knowing paradox more than Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (The Separation, The Salesman), who has left his country for Spain, to explore the corrosive effects of secrecy without fear of censorship. Penélope Cruz (fantastic as Donatella Versace in The Assassination of Gianni Versace) plays a woman who leaves Argentina to attend a wedding in the small, sun-soaked village in Spain where she grew up. Leaving her husband behind, she enjoys reconnecting with her former lover (Javier Bardem) – until her teenage daughter, Carol, is kidnapped. An atmospheric mystery that plunges into the past to find truths about the present.

“The performances themselves are so intelligent, mature and yet so uninhibited. Farhadi’s storytelling has overpowering force.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian.