Toronto 2024 Review: THEY WILL BE DUST, Love and Death Intertwine in Euthanasia Romance Musical Drama

Carlos Marques-Marcet’s latest film, They Will Be Dust, opens with a tender portrayal of late-life romance between two lifelong partners.

Their love, while a celebration of life, is also a poignant reminder of the vows they once made: “'till death do us part.” Claudia (Ángela Molina), recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, decides to take her final journey to Switzerland, with her devoted partner, Flavio (Alfredo Castro), by her side. The film is less a meditation on death itself and more an exploration of how we prepare for it, both for ourselves and for those we love.

Marques-Marcet, known for blending realism with inventive storytelling techniques, once again expands his cinematic style. In They Will Be Dust, he introduces dance elements, a surprising choice given the gravity of the subject matter.

Rather than serving as a distraction or lightening the mood, however, the dance sequences deepen the emotional resonance of the film, articulating feelings that dialogue alone cannot express. Death here is not framed as a conclusive ending but as part of an ongoing dialogue between life and love, a reflection on how we connect with one another in the face of life’s inevitable end.

Claudia and Flavio, both in their 70s and with artistic careers behind them, still display a youthful exuberance in their love, reminiscent of teenage infatuation. This vitality, however, is challenged by Claudia’s diagnosis.

Yet it is not Claudia who sinks into despair, but Flavio. Claudia, determined to take control of her fate, opts for assisted suicide. Flavio, despite being in good health, cannot bear to part from her and decides to join her in a double-assisted suicide, a final act of love and the symbol of co-dependency.

In a symbolic gesture, the couple hosts a second wedding ceremony, inviting their three children. Their daughter Violeta (Monica Almirall), who has maintained the closest bond with her parents, knows of their decision to die together. During the wedding dinner, she reveals the plan, hoping to rally her siblings to intervene. Her outburst disrupts the celebration, but ultimately fails to change the course of events.

They Will Be Dust could be viewed as a more heart-warming and romanticized counterpoint to Michael Haneke’s Amour. While acknowledging life’s limits, Marques-Marcet imbues the story with a sense of theatricality rather than existential despair.

The relationship between Claudia and Flavio is idealized, showing two people who remain deeply connected, even as they quarrel. Ángela Molina’s portrayal of Claudia, a woman vibrant with life despite her terminal illness, conveys a character who is determined to face death on her own terms, with no regrets.

Marques-Marcet avoids melodrama, but notably incorporates dance sequences that break from conventional storytelling. His collaboration with the La Veronal dance company and musician María Arnal elevates the film beyond realism, creating a liminal space where inner emotions are expressed through movement.

One standout sequence, set in a mortuary, features dancers interacting with caskets, yet there is nothing morbid about the scene. Instead, it is a strikingly memorable expression of life and death entwined.

While Marques-Marcet’s previous works have often leaned on naturalistic settings, here the landscapes, whether the sun-drenched beaches of Barcelona or the cold, mountainous terrain of Switzerland, take on symbolic weight. Switzerland, in particular, captures the film’s central tension between peace and finality.

The scenes set at the Dignitas facility, where Claudia and Flavio go to end their lives, are handled with restraint. The film presents the assisted suicide process with calm detachment, avoiding emotional manipulation while still offering a humane and dignified portrayal.

They Will Be Dust is both pragmatic and poetic in its approach to euthanasia, portraying it with a rare sensitivity that underscores the enduring love between its protagonists. Marques-Marcet reshapes the conventions of the romance film, offering a conclusion that is neither overly dramatic nor sentimental, but one that resonates with the calmness.

They Will Be Dust won the Toronto International Film Festival's Platform award.