Catalan filmmaker Ulises Porra will return to the Toronto International Film Festival this fall with the world premiere of his first solo feature, “Under the Same Sun” (“Bajo el mismo sol”). The film will screen in TIFF’s Centrepiece program during the festival’s 50th edition, which runs Sept. 4–14.
Porra, previously best known for co-directing “Tigre” (2017) and “Carajita” (2021) with Silvina Schnicer, makes his first solo outing with the Dominican-Spanish co-production. The project was backed by Wooden Boat Productions, Alta Isla Films, Fasten Films and Cobalt Films.
Set in 1819 on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, shortly before the independence of the Dominican Republic, “Under the Same Sun” follows Lázaro, the inexperienced heir to a Spanish merchant; Mei, a master silk maker from China; and Baptiste, a deserter from the Haitian army, as they attempt to establish a silk factory in the heart of the island. The unlikely trio must navigate the treacherous Caribbean wilderness and the threats posed by violent French colonists.
Watch trailer below:
Spanish actor David Castillo (“Something Is About to Happen”) stars as Lázaro, alongside Jean Jean (“Woodpeckers”) as Baptiste and newcomer Valentina Shen Wu as Mei. The film is shot by cinematographer Sebastián Cabrera Chelin and produced by Ulla Prida, Alexandra Santana and Porra himself.
Porra studied philosophy at the University of Barcelona and has built a career around politically attuned dramas. “Carajita” earned a Special Jury Mention at the San Sebastián Film Festival and went on to win best Ibero-American film and best director at Guadalajara. His debut “Tigre” bowed simultaneously at TIFF and San Sebastián in 2017. He also co-wrote “La barbarie” (2023), which screened at the Málaga Film Festival, and “Acusada” (2018), which competed at Venice.
TIFF has set four screenings for “Under the Same Sun”: Sept. 9 (press and industry), Sept. 11 (world premiere), Sept. 12 and Sept. 14.
The world premiere is presented with support from Dominican airline Arajet.