I saw an incredible Spanish film at the Tribeca Film Festival: Una noche con Adela.

The film is a brutal family drama that follows Adela, a disturbed street sweeper in Madrid, as she enacts retribution for an incident from her youth over the course of one night.

It explores themes of religion, sin, childhood trauma, and revenge. What I found fascinating was the cinematography. The director Hugo Ruíz employs a single-shot long take; the entire 105-minute movie is shot in one continuous, uninterrupted flow.

Laura Galán, the actress who plays Adela, is tracked for every moment — every breath, every ache, every cry. And my goodness, it was visceral. I could feel every bit of claustrophobia, isolation, and suspense.

We got to meet the director & cinematographer for a Q&A. The film was shot in only nine days with a simple rig. When asked about his choice of cinematography, director Ruíz shares: “I want you to feel her silence and rage at the same time.”

Powerful. And it made me reflect on a storytelling adage: “how you tell” is as important as “what you tell.”

Have you seen any movies that gripped you by how they were filmed?