Gala & Kiwi delivers some fascinating ideas and two pitch-perfect performances, but it expects too much for the audience to be invested.
Writer-Director: Axel Cheb Terrab
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 109′
EIFF Premiere: August 18, 2024
Release Date: TBA
In Gala & Kiwi, two young women come together for the first time since they drifted apart after leaving school – but what begins as an innocent night of celebrations quickly turns more complex once old feelings and long-hold grudges are finally brought to light.
But what’s special about this film in relation to the countless other character dramas with similar premises is that, for the majority of the runtime, both Gala (Carmen Fillol) and Kiwi (Agustina Cabo) are together in the same room. It’s very reminiscent of a stage drama in the way that it uses one single location and a very small cast of characters, but director Axel Cheb Terrab ensures that the cinematic element is felt through some unique editing decisions and flashy camerawork.
The strongest aspect of Gala & Kiwi is undoubtedly the two lead performances: both Fillol and Cabo completely transform into the titular friends, and since the story unfolds mostly in real-time, they’re forced to navigate a huge array of emotions without ever making the transition between humour, anger, love, and grief feel forced. Their friendship feels instantly genuine, as the film opens with an extended shot of the pair laughing together after coming back from a night drinking. It doesn’t necessarily add much to the story, but it cements their friendly dynamic and makes their relationship feel lived-in and authentic. Much of Gala & Kiwi serves the same purpose, characterising these two figures without necessarily advancing the plot – this is both a huge strength and a severe weakness.
To start with the positives: Gala & Kiwi’s slow pace and methodical storytelling mean that both protagonists feel incredibly real and tangible whenever they’re on-screen. Their chemistry is immediately believable, and the way the two actresses bounce off each other’s cues is subtle but powerful. It’s a very immersive viewing experience that’s usually only found in live theatre, but the extended long shots, intentional camera movements, and intelligent framing ensures that it doesn’t feel too monotonous.
Unfortunately, this dialogue-heavy structure doesn’t provide Gala & Kiwi with enough momentum to really make the audience care about these women from the beginning. The film almost makes an assumption that viewers will be invested in this friendship, but at least for the first act, there’s very little explanation given as to who these people are, what they’re doing, or why we should care. This comes later, but when a movie is so reliant on slow-paced dialogue and lengthy character arcs that unravel gradually, there needs to be something keeping the audience engaged from the beginning. Here, there’s no mystery or questions that need answering – just conversations between two characters that we don’t know yet.
The problem ultimately comes down to pacing: the film does get down to the friends’ backstory and the reasons behind the conflicts that have been surfacing on-screen, but this is all forced into the final act. The result is a story that doesn’t truly feel like it’s ever started until it’s almost over. There is great stuff in the first two acts, including fascinating meditations on topics such as creativity, repression of trauma, and the immutability of one’s personality, but great dialogue and intricate themes don’t quite make a film.
The positive aspects of Gala & Kiwi are great: the direction is flashy and slick, the actresses display huge range and depth of emotion, and the dialogue flows naturally – but there’s an inherent flaw with the storytelling that makes it difficult to identify with either character. The naturalistic style makes it feel like you’re truly in the film, spending time with these women and reminiscing on memories with them – except you don’t remember who they are, or how you got there.
Gala & Kiwi was screened at the Edinburgh Film Festival on August 18, 2024. Read our list of films to watch at the Edinburgh Film Festival!
