“La Ola”, interview with director Sebastián Lelio

May 19, 2025

Sebastián Lelio: “a musical to speak up about the need to create a new paradigm that redefines the way men, women and sexual non-conformers, relate to each other”

“La Ola”, interview with director Sebastián Lelio Chiara Nicoletti

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Chilean director Sebastián Lelio is at the 78th Cannes Film Festival to present “La Ola” in the Cannes Premiere section.

The Oscar Winner for “A Fantastic Woman” is again portraying women, in a musical he produced with Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín and Rocío Jadue about the historic feminist occupation and massive protests in May 2018.

With a screenplay he wrote with acclaimed writers Manuela Infante, Josefina Fernández and Paloma Salas, the film relies on a cast of brilliant new faces such as Daniela López as the protagonist Julia, Lola Bravo as Rafa, Avril Aurora as Luna and Paulina Cortés as Tamara.

Mixing entertaining and political, the film not only talks and “sings” about the struggles women still have to face when it comes to redefining their relationship with men who are still carrying a patriarchal system but, at the same time focus on the Latin American situation which, in some cases, have still a lot of battles to fight and win.

Plot

SANTIAGO, CHILE
MAY 2018
Waves of change erupt on campus, and among the occupations and
rallies is Julia, a music student who joins the cause to denounce the harassment and abuse they've endured for far too long. But as she sings and dances to the rhythm of the chants, an unresolved episode haunts her: a confusing encounter with Max, her voice
teacher's assistant. What happened that night? Was it just another date? Did she say yes? Or was it something much worse? Swept up in the collective euphoria and her own ghosts, Julia becomes the heart of the movement. Her testimony, intimate and complex,
becomes a wave that pushes, shakes and disrupts a polarized society.

Written by: Chiara Nicoletti

Avril Aurora Daniela López Josefina Fernández Lola Bravo Manuela Infante Paloma Salas Paulina Cortés

Guest

Sebastian Lelio

Film

La Ola

Festival

Festival de Cannes

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