Ema

Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
Ema image - a film by Pablo Larraín
NOW AVAILABLE TO OWN OR VIEW ON DEMAND
Ema poster - a film by Pablo Larraín
Mesmerising. It feels fresh, that’s rare in a medium such as cinema, where it’s tempting to think everything has been done. It's the ambitious movie Larraín has been building up to. Its appeal is visceral, cerebral, corporeal and mysterious. The beautiful and mercurial Di Girolamo as Ema, is a femme fatale for our times, a vengeful goddess for the #MeToo and #Insta generation.
Stunning. Go see it. The best thing on in cinemas. Sit back and let yourself be seduced.
Jason Di Rosso
ABC RADIO NATIONAL
2021's most extraordinary film. Burn, baby, burn.
Alluring, invigorating and breathtakingly hallucinogenic. One of the best films of the year.
It's clear from the first scene that Ema is going to be something special. Rules are going to be broken, conventions overturned. The most original piece of cinema you'll see this year.
John McDonald
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Impressive. I couldn't tear my eyes away.
A stunning piece of cinema. Di Girolamo is magnetic and Larraín's skill as both a visual- and emotion-driven filmmaker is never in doubt. Indeed, this film's imagery — and its exploration of trauma, shock and their impact — aren't easily forgotten.
Profound, complex and intensely moving.
An indelible spectacle. One of the year’s best. The narrative slowly reveals itself as an especially perverse kind of ‘intimacy thriller’ – not with action sequences but spellbinding psychological and erotic power games. The pleasures of Ema are many.
Adrian Martin
SCREENHUB
Hugely distinctive and daring. Larrain proves a master rug-puller.
One of the year’s most dynamic and electrifying films – anarchic, liberated, and contagiously alive. The film is carried along by elemental forces and emotional undercurrents; scenes don’t spur the narrative forward so much as they work to melt the space between hearts and bodies. Mariana Di Girolamo gives an incredible breakout performance.
An hypnotic and beautiful work, driven by a killer performance. You’ll remain under Ema’s spell for a long time after the credits have rolled.
Exhilarating, daring and deeply human, Ema explodes off the screen like a Roman candle. It's heady and euphoric – a picture of pure freedom.
Director: Pablo Larraín
Cast: Mariana Di Girolamo, Gael García Bernal, Santiago Cabrera
Duration: 102mins
Country of Origin: Chile
MA15+
Strong sex scenes
Mesmerising. It feels fresh, that’s rare in a medium such as cinema, where it’s tempting to think everything has been done. It's the ambitious movie Larraín has been building up to. Its appeal is visceral, cerebral, corporeal and mysterious. The beautiful and mercurial Di Girolamo as Ema, is a femme fatale for our times, a vengeful goddess for the #MeToo and #Insta generation.
Stunning. Go see it. The best thing on in cinemas. Sit back and let yourself be seduced.
Jason Di Rosso
ABC RADIO NATIONAL
2021's most extraordinary film. Burn, baby, burn.
Alluring, invigorating and breathtakingly hallucinogenic. One of the best films of the year.
It's clear from the first scene that Ema is going to be something special. Rules are going to be broken, conventions overturned. The most original piece of cinema you'll see this year.
John McDonald
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Impressive. I couldn't tear my eyes away.
A stunning piece of cinema. Di Girolamo is magnetic and Larraín's skill as both a visual- and emotion-driven filmmaker is never in doubt. Indeed, this film's imagery — and its exploration of trauma, shock and their impact — aren't easily forgotten.
Profound, complex and intensely moving.
An indelible spectacle. One of the year’s best. The narrative slowly reveals itself as an especially perverse kind of ‘intimacy thriller’ – not with action sequences but spellbinding psychological and erotic power games. The pleasures of Ema are many.
Adrian Martin
SCREENHUB
Hugely distinctive and daring. Larrain proves a master rug-puller.
One of the year’s most dynamic and electrifying films – anarchic, liberated, and contagiously alive. The film is carried along by elemental forces and emotional undercurrents; scenes don’t spur the narrative forward so much as they work to melt the space between hearts and bodies. Mariana Di Girolamo gives an incredible breakout performance.
An hypnotic and beautiful work, driven by a killer performance. You’ll remain under Ema’s spell for a long time after the credits have rolled.
Exhilarating, daring and deeply human, Ema explodes off the screen like a Roman candle. It's heady and euphoric – a picture of pure freedom.

OFFICIAL SELECTION – VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (IN COMPETITION)
OFFICIAL SELECTION – TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
OFFICIAL SELECTION – BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL
CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION - MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

One of contemporary cinema’s most exciting and award-winning directors, the remarkable Pablo Larraín (No, Jackie, Neruda) unites Gael García Bernal with striking newcomer Mariana Di Girolamo for EMA, an immersive and incendiary drama about art, desire, performance and family, set in the vibrant dance world of the port city of Valparaíso, Chile.

Free-spirited, platinum-blonde Ema (Di Girolamo) is a beguiling, stubborn and fiercely talented young dancer and teacher. Her insatiable passion lies in the sexy reggaetón music she and her friends dance to on the city’s streets; she’s forged a career as part of an experimental modern ensemble overseen by her husband, demanding choreographer Gastón (Bernal).

The couple is reeling from a crisis: they’ve just returned their adopted 12-year-old son Polo to child services, after the troubled boy set fire to their home and injured Ema’s sister. The couple’s agonising decision spins the marriage into chaos, but the guilt-ridden Ema refuses to let go, and sets out on a strange, secretive, and fearless quest to reunite her family…

Interspersing sequences of stunning choreography with a gripping and ingeniously structured narrative of seduction and manipulation, all set to an immersive electronic score by Nicolás Jaar, Larraín’s mesmerising film hinges on Di Girolamo’s extraordinary performance: tender, volatile, physical and fully alive.

The result is unforgettable.

Ema poster - a film by Pablo Larraín

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NOW AVAILABLE TO OWN OR VIEW ON DEMAND