
Biutiful
by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Far removed from the hustle and bustle of the Catalan metropolis’ tourist trail, people are fighting for their lives in the El Ravel district of Barcelona – amongst them is Uxbal. The life of the single father of two small children is a constant battle for survival. In order to make ends meet, he sells illegal Chinese immigrants to local building companies, looks after an African black-market ring using his police contacts, and pretends to be able to communicate with the dead, a “gift” he uses to squeeze cash out of left-behind relatives. However, Uxbal is no villain, he simply reacts to economic pressure in an attempt to support his family the best he can – and carries the heavy moral burden associated with his work.