# Upon Entry

Upon Entry (released as Upon Entry (La llegada) in Spain) is a 2022 Spanish drama film directed by Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez (in their directorial debut feature). It stars Alberto Ammann and Bruna Cusí alongside Ben Temple and Laura Gómez.
The plot concerns the unpleasant vetting and questioning procedures that the couple Diego (a Venezuelan urbanist) and Elena (a contemporary dancer from Barcelona) suffers at the Newark Airport upon moving from Barcelona to the United States to start off a new life.

## Plot

Diego (a Venezuelan urbanist) and Elena (a Barcelona dancer) fly to the United States together, as she has won a Green Card Lottery visa and they are a pareja de hecho or common-law couple. Both are nervously excited to start their new life together.
Arriving at Newark Airport passport control, as the nervous Diego misplaced the I-9 Declaration form, Elena fills out another. Watching the available agents, as one appears to let people through more quickly, Diego is pleased they get him.
However, after scanning their passports, the agent fingerprints them and takes their photos before escourting them to a secondary inspection area. Both are concerned, but when they mention their connecting flight to Miami, it does not speed up the process.
After 30 minutes the couple are asked to sit and wait more. As she had not eaten on the plane, Elena asks if there is food or water available, but is told no. Diego discourages her from asking more questions, as he fears they will have problems if they appear difficult.
Brought into a small interrogation room, their bags are thoroughly searched again. When asked to turn off and lock away his phone, Diego resists slightly as he had planned to see his brother in New York before continuing to Florida. However, the agent suggests time constraints could make that difficult.
A drug-sniffing dog goes over them and their luggage. Then they both are given thorough body searches, and the agent bags some of Elena's insulin and a needle. The couple are left alone to await their interview. Once alone, Elena is indignant about the search, unaware it was a possibility. Diego wonders if they are being watched.
A female agent enters, and one by one asks for a series of documents, social media account information, again about birth dates. Elena voices her annoyance to Diego in Spanish, to which the agent responds in perfect Spanish and suggests they answer truthfully as lying is considered a criminal offense.
When asked if they have another nationality, Diego says he is a Spanish resident through Elena, as his partner. The agent points out he should have waited for his Spanish nationality acceptance before travelling. Diego explains they needed to come before Elena's Diversity visa expired. The agent then confirms he had applied on two previous occasions unsuccessfully. Diego also has other family members who were unsuccessful at getting the visa.
When asked why theirs is a civil union and not a marriage, they indicate they do not see it necessary. They are interrogated about work, to give specifics as to their experience and why they specifically chose the US, rather than another EU country etc. Elena asks why they are repeating the same questions as those in the embassy, she is told they are checking due to new info they received.
As the interview goes on, Diego is further prodded, as he was in the US four years ago, and also in a similar secondary interview. He admits her questions are making him nervous. The agent asks Diego about Kate, a Miami woman he had met online ten years his senior, with which he had almost entered the US on a fiancé visa with. Elena has no knowledge of her and is upset to learn he broke it off with Kate after meeting her.
Diego is then interviewed by two agents. She tries to get him to admit he is only out to get his green card, under threat of deporting him to Venezuela, where he once had been kidnapped by the authorities. Elena is next barraged with questions, and they make her realise how little she would see her family. Also, she is reminded that when they have kids, their upkeep is expensive. They plant doubt about Diego's intentions, then the male agent tries to force Elena to prove she can dance.
Returning to the waiting room, Diego can see Elena has been crying. She says she just wants to return to Barcelona. They both realize they gave different answers about her knowledge of his former engagement. Called up to the desk, after realizing they missed the flight to Miami, they are surprised to be welcomed to the US.

## Cast

* Alberto Ammann as Diego
* Bruna Cusí as Elena
* Ben Temple as Agent Barrett
* Laura Gómez as Agent Vasquez

## Production

Written and directed by Venezuelan filmmakers Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez, Upon Entry is based on the helmers' personal experiences as immigrants. The film is a Spanish co-production by Zabriskie Films, Basque Films, and Sygnatia, with the participation of TV3, and the support from ICEC [ca], the Madrid regional administration, the Basque Government and Creative Europe's MEDIA.

## Release

Upon Entry screened at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) in November 2022. It also made it to the official selection of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival. It was picked up by Charades and Anonymous Content ahead of its screening at the South by Southwest (SXSW) for its North-American premiere. It also received screenings at the 26th Málaga Film Festival and BAFICI. Distributed by Karma Films, it was released theatrically in Spain on 16 June 2023.
Charades closed distribution deals in Italy (Exit Media), Japan (Shochiku), Portugal (Alambique), India (PictureWorks), CIS (Pionier), and France (Condor Distribution).

## Reception

According to the American review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Upon Entry has a 100% approval rating based on 11 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 8.0/10.
Júlia Olmo of Cineuropa assessed that despite the film seemingly touching towards its end upon the clichés it managed to steer clear of before, it "manages to be an enjoyable film", "to achieve its verisimilitude and to make us forget for a while" "that we are watching a fictional film".
Jonathan Holland of ScreenDaily considered that the film "plays out in that grey zone where legitimate questioning ends and the state torture manual begins", pointing out how generating "so much drama from what is basically 74 minutes of people talking across a table at one another is very clever film making indeed".
Jordi Batlle Caminal of Fotogramas rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting the entire cast as the best thing about the film.

### Top ten lists

The film appeared on a number of critics' top ten lists of the best Spanish films of 2023:
* 1st — Mondosonoro (consensus)
* 2nd — El Cultural (critics)
* 7th — El Periódico de Catalunya (critics)
* 8th — El Español (Series & Más consensus)
* 10th — El Confidencial (consensus)

## Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2022 | 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | FIPRESCI Award | FIPRESCI Award | Won |
| 2022 | 28th Kolkata International Film Festival | Golden Bengal Royal Tiger Award for Best Film | Golden Bengal Royal Tiger Award for Best Film | Won |
| 2023 | 26th Málaga Film Festival | Silver Biznaga for Best Actor | Alberto Ammann | Won |
| 2023 | 23rd Golden Trailer Awards | Best Independent Trailer (for film budget shot under $1.5Million US) | Upon Entry (ZEALOT) | Won |
| 2023 | 29th Forqué Awards | Best Film | Best Film | Nominated |
| 2023 | 29th Forqué Awards | Best Actor in a Film | Alberto Ammann | Nominated |
| 2024 | 11th Feroz Awards | Best Drama Film | Best Drama Film | Nominated |
| 2024 | 11th Feroz Awards | Best Actor in a Film | Alberto Ammann | Nominated |
| 2024 | 11th Feroz Awards | Best Screenplay | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez | Won |
| 2024 | 16th Gaudí Awards | Best Non-Catalan Language Film | Best Non-Catalan Language Film | Nominated |
| 2024 | 16th Gaudí Awards | Best New Director | Juan Sebastián Vásquez, Alejandro Rojas | Nominated |
| 2024 | 16th Gaudí Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Juan Sebastián Vásquez, Alejandro Rojas | Won |
| 2024 | 16th Gaudí Awards | Best Actress | Bruna Cusí | Nominated |
| 2024 | 16th Gaudí Awards | Best Actor | Alberto Ammann | Nominated |
| 2024 | 79th CEC Medals | Best New Director | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vasquez | Nominated |
| 2024 | 79th CEC Medals | Best Original Screenplay | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vasquez | Nominated |
| 2024 | 38th Goya Awards | Best Actor | Alberto Ammann | Nominated |
| 2024 | 38th Goya Awards | Best New Director | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez | Nominated |
| 2024 | 38th Goya Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez | Nominated |
| 2024 | 39th Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature | Best First Feature | Nominated |
| 2024 | 39th Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Screenplay | Alejandro Rojas, Juan Sebastián Vásquez | Nominated |
| 2024 | 39th Independent Spirit Awards | Best Editing | Emanuele Tiziani | Nominated |
| 2024 | 32nd Actors and Actresses Union Awards | Best Film Actor in a Leading Role | Alberto Ammann | Nominated |