# They Will Be Dust

They Will Be Dust (Spanish: Polvo serán) is a 2024 tragicomedy musical film directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet from a screenplay by Marques-Marcet, Clara Roquet and Coral Cruz starring Ángela Molina, Alfredo Castro, and Mònica Almirall.

## Plot

After a woman with an incurable disease (Claudia) decides to end her life, her significant other Flavio sets in motion a plan to die together in Switzerland, while their daughter Violeta ends up as an unmeant middle woman.

## Cast

* Ángela Molina as Claudia
* Alfredo Castro as Flavio
* Mònica Almirall as Violeta
* Patrícia Bargalló [es] as Lea
* Alván Prado as Manuel
* Manuela Biedermann as Inger

## Production

The film is a Spanish-Swiss-Italian co-production by Lastor Media, Alina Film, and Kino Produzioni, with backing and funding from ICAA, ICEC [ca], Creative Europe's MEDIA, RTVE, Movistar Plus+, DGCA [it], IDM Film Fund & Commission Südtirol Alto Adige and Eurimages. Gabriel Sandru took over cinematography duties. The score was composed by Maria Arnal. Shooting locations included Barcelona.

## Release

The Will Be Dust had its world premiere in competition for the Platform Prize at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2024. It was also selected as the opening film of the 69th Valladolid International Film Festival. Co-distributed by Wanda Vision and Elastica Films, it is scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 15 November 2024.

## Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 11 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10.
Stephen Saito of Variety wrote that the film "proves moving in more ways than one", "achieving a level of intimacy unusual even for its reliably sensitive director".
Olivia Popp of Cineuropa wrote that the film "goes for broke in all its sincerity and quirkiness — and succeeds".
Jonathan Holland of ScreenDaily deemed the film to be an "admirably unsentimental and involving end-of-life drama that comes, unusually, peppered with dance sequences".
Javier Ocaña of El País declared They Will Be Dust "a bold, almost senseless, volcanic, pretentious, vociferous, passionate (though not enthralling)" work, with some dance sequences veering towards Eliseo Subiela's levels of cheesiness.
Philipp Engel of Cinemanía rated The Will Be Dust 4 out of 5 stars, writing about an "intelligent" film, "without the slightest hint of sentimentality".

## Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2024 | 2024 Toronto International Film Festival | Platform Prize | Platform Prize | Won |
| 2024 | 69th Valladolid International Film Festival | Silver Spike | Silver Spike | Won |
| 2024 | 19th Rome Film Festival | Best Actress | Ángela Molina | Won |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Non-Catalan Language Film | Best Non-Catalan Language Film | Won |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Director | Carlos Marques-Marcet | Nominated |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Carlos Marques-Marcet, Clara Roquet, Coral Cruz | Nominated |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Actress | Ángela Molina | Nominated |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Actor | Alfredo Castro | Nominated |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Original Score | Maria Arnal | Won |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Cinematography | Gabriel Sandru | Nominated |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Editing | Chiara Dainese | Won |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Production Supervision | Mayca Sanz, Andrés Mellinas | Nominated |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Art Direction | Laia Ateca | Won |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Costume Design | Pau Aulí | Nominated |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Makeup and Hairstyles | Natalia Albert, Marta Xipell | Nominated |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Sound | Xavier Lavorel, Maya Baur, Kathleen Moser, Denis Séchaud | Nominated |
| 2025 | 17th Gaudí Awards | Best Visual Effects | Diana Cuyàs | Nominated |
| 2025 | 12th Feroz Awards | Best Original Soundtrack | Maria Arnal | Nominated |
| 2025 | 12th Feroz Awards | Best Trailer | Miguel Ángel Trudu | Won |
| 2025 | 12th Feroz Awards | Best Film Poster | Emilio Lorente, Lluís Tudela | Nominated |
| 2025 | 12th Feroz Awards | 'Arrebato' Special Award (Fiction) | 'Arrebato' Special Award (Fiction) | Won |
| 2025 | 39th Goya Awards | Best Actor | Alfredo Castro | Pending |