Adoptive parents Ema and Gastón are artistic free spirits in an experimental dance troupe whose lives are thrown into chaos when their son Polo is involved in a shockingly violent incident. As her marriage crumbles in the wake of their decision to abandon the child, Ema embarks on an odyssey of liberation and self-discovery as she dances and seduces her way into a daring new life. Centring on the sinuous, electrifying art of reggaeton dance, Ema is an incendiary portrait of a lady on fire, the story of an artistic temperament forced to contend with societal pressure and the urge to conform.
"Ema is a paradigm: she’s a character of characters. Daughter, mother, sister, wife, lover and leader. She’s very powerful and presents a striking, beautiful sort of femininity. She’s motivated by relentless individualism, as she clearly knows what she wants and is capable of seducing those around her in order to line up her destiny. She wants to be a mother and have a family; perhaps what moves and motivates her the most is love." (Pablo Larraín)
Pablo Larraín
Born in 1976 in Santiago, Chile. Having graduated in film direction, Larraín founded a production company, Fabula. Post Mortem, his third feature film, screened in the 2010 Cannes Film Festival’s main selection, while No (2012) was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. Jackie, starring Natalie Portman, was nominated for three Academy Awards in 2017.