Marcus Ibanez juxtaposes the oppressiveness of the pandemic with familial warmth in this masterful ode to lost moments of youth for Penny. Marcus' crucial idea was to turn the conversation into a chamber drama set entirely in the family's apartment. The perfectly cast actors deliver Netflix-worthy performances while editing and cinematography skillfully frame the action. Cleverly connected shots and practically resolved transitions between day and night help to show off the highly confined, yet cleverly constructed setting to its optimal effect. The atmospheric soundtrack rounds off the film and only reveals itself near the end as a subtle yet atmospheric cover of Bon Jovi's "It's my life".

Marcus Ibanez has a background in still photography and a graphic design degree from Berghs School of Communication. After graduating in 2016, Marcus took on a position as Director’s Assistant and 2nd unit director at the production company New Land where he worked on big productions for clients such as Volvo, H&M and Audi with directors like Gustav Johansson, Niclas Larsson, Sheila Johansson, Jonas Lindstrøm and Jerome Salle, to name a few. In 2020, Marcus won the Gold at the Eurobest Award for Best Craft for his film ‘Dante’s Heartbeats’ for the Swedish Children’s Heart Foundation, Hjär- tebarnsfonden. He was also awarded Gold in 2021 Clio Awards for the same in Film. Since then he has directed visually stunning, but also narrative films for Volvo, Adidas & Coca-Cola, Telia, Doctors without Borders and many more. With his latest work for Penny he also received the Grand Prix in Film Craft at this year's Cannes Awards.