Filming Begins for El Talento

Filming has commenced in the Basque Country for El Talento, a new film produced by Reposado and The Mediapro Studio.

Directed by Polo Menárguez and penned by León de Aranoa, the feature is based on the Arthur Schnitzler novel Miss Elsa. Ester Expósito (Perdidos en la noche, Venus) and Pedro Casablanc (Los Farad, B) lead the cast.

El Talento, made in association with RTVE, Movistar Plus+ and 3Cat, will be distributed in Spain by Tripictures.

Menárguez said: “While we were the screenplay, we talked a lot about Schnitzler and how the major themes his novel addresses are still as relevant a century later. It seemed as simple as swapping telegrams for cellphone chats. Adopting a strong point of view, almost in real time, El Talento turns a high society party into a boiling pressure cooker. We draw on an iconic look and use the kind of visuals that leave images burnt onto viewers’ retinas. We have the perfect cast to make that night the best party, and also the worst nightmare.”

De Aranoa added: “This project arose from a desire to promote, as a producer and as a screenwriter, a Polo Menárguez project, and from the conviction that his talent and sensitivity as a storyteller make him the ideal person to find the delicate balance between lightness, darkness and sophistication, that lies at the heart of this story, where everything falls on the shoulders of a young woman who sees her life transformed in seconds, in the course of a party.”

Laura Fdez. Espeso, CEO of The Mediapro Studio, commented: “El Talento deals with absolutely current issues. Polo Menárguez and Fernando León de Aranoa have, with great subtlety, transferred to the present day a story about power and manipulation that will leave no viewer indifferent. Luis San Narciso has assembled an outstanding cast led by Pedro Casablanc and Ester Expósito. From the moment we read the script, we wanted to produce this film. We have total trust in the director’s vision and this is our sixth film with Reposado, the best possible partners on such a journey.”