Afternoons of Solitude (Tardes de Soledad)

‘Afternoons of Solitude’ (Tardes de Soledad) is an observational documentary film directed by Albert Serra that highlights the world of bullfighting from a showmanship’s standpoint and the rituals surrounding this tradition. The film obviously contains violent content however the movie itself gives meditative and poetic insight into bullfighting.

‘Afternoons of Solitude’ is an intense portrait of matador Andrés Roca Rey who with precise skill puts his life and spiritual endurance on the line. The audience bears witness to the primal connection between man and animal. Director Serra mentioned an important theme during the SSIFF press conference – “luck favors the brave” – this certainly holds true for the this matador.

This film is structured to focus on the brutality, intensity and physicality of the fights themselves. The audience gets a glimpse into Roca Rey’s entourage and work dynamics when he is being shuttled to and from fights. His team continues to praise him, but he largely ignores the compliments. There are scenes where we see Roca Ray find solace and comfort in a picture of the weeping Virgin Mary that he keeps beside his bed and scenes where he ritually kisses his rosary immediately before his “performance” in the bull ring.

What I found to be the most interesting is Roca Rey’s expressions on and off the bull ring. His expressionless demeanor when he’s not fighting is counterpointed with the most theatrical glare and facial expressions when he’s staring down a bull. Roca appears not only as a man without fear, but a man who gets a certain pleasure from escaping injury or even death within the ring.

What I also found symbolic was Roca Rey’s majestic traje de luces (traditional clothing) which at first transfixes beauty but then gets blood-splattered and blends in with the striking red bullring he’s confined to.

As per the director’s press conference at SSIFF, Serra mentioned that he wanted to capture the world of bullfighting in a precise and accurate way. He also said it was quite a journey to film through 14 bull fights and how unforeseeable and unpredictable it was.

Serra also addressed the title of the film by stating that the audience is meant to look inward and notice the loneliness of the people who live in this bubble. He wanted the film to flow naturally with elements of reality and having open access.

The film is a remarkable, multifarious work despite the controversial subject matter. This is not an activist film. Director Serra takes an observational approach with no voiceovers and special effects where viewers are forced into the heart of bullfighting area in Madrid for virtually the entire runtime.

Overall, ‘Afternoon of Solitude’ is a cinematic, multi-sensory experience as it journeys through those solitary afternoons of the matador and his team, the visceral fight between human and animal, and the line that separates life and death. If you can handle it, I would highly recommend watching this deep introspective movie.