'Romería'

Source: Quim Vives

‘Romería’

Romería is the third film in Carla Simon’s cycle of personal films exploring her roots and identity. It follows Summer 1993, about a girl who is sent to live in the countryside after her mother’s death, which won best first feature at the 2017 Berlinale and Alcarràs, the festival’s Golden Bear winner in 2022.

Her new film, screening here in Competition, sees the Spanish director reconstruct the memory of her father who died when she was just three years old. It follows a young woman yearning to know more about her father who, like her mother, died of Aids. But she is thwarted by his family’s ongoing shame about his life as an addict.

Tristan Ulloa, Jose Angel Egido Perez and Miryam Gallego star in Romería with newcomer Llucia Garcia. The film is produced by Simon’s regular producer Maria Zamora at Elastica Films, in co-production with Spain’s Dos Soles Media and Germany’s Ventall Cinema. International sales are handled by mk2 Films.

Did you always plan to make your first three features as a cycle of personal films?

The idea came after Summer 1993. I was already thinking about Alcarràs and Romería. We made Alcarràs because my grandfather had just died plus it brought the challenge of working with a large ensemble.

Had I made Romería earlier, it would have been less ambitious. As my third feature it allowed me to take more risks, to experiment. We tried a new structure, a new tone. There were definitely creative risks and that’s part of evolving as a filmmaker.

The big realisation with Romería was that memory can be invented. I once believed if you don’t have memories, you can’t create them. Now I think the opposite: invention is part of memory, and cinema makes that possible. It helped me build my identity and make peace with the past. It doesn’t matter if the search leads nowhere.

How did filming on the Galician coast affect the story?

I was eager to change scenery. I had made two films set in rural, inland areas, so moving to the seaside town of Vigo in Galicia where my parents lived their love story was wonderful. It brought a kind of mysticism to the experience.

Your mother’s letters are central to the film. How did you turn them into images?

I edited them into a diary for the film. Finding visuals to match their emotion was a powerful process. It felt like I could finally hear her; it created a connection I’d never had through photos or videos. The process became a kind of visual mirroring — what [lead character] Marina sees on her journey echoes the diary.

How has being part of a generation orphaned by Aids and addiction affected how you confront the past?

Memory is always subjective, but when it’s buried under taboo and pain, like what caused the deaths of my parents and many others, it’s even harder to reach. That memory is part of our collective history; we should acknowledge it. That generation came from a repressive, conservative society and they turned everything upside down. They deserve to have visibility.

What impact has winning the Golden Bear for Alcarràs had on your career?

It let me keep working the way I like — slowly, with care. Budgets grew. Suddenly, we could shoot on boats, in storms, things I’d never dared imagine before.

What advice would you give to any filmmaker readying their next film after early success?

Be honest with yourself. It’s tempting to say yes to flashy offers, but ask yourself, “Would I really enjoy this?” I don’t rule out commissioned work, but I have too many personal ideas I want to pursue. If you’re lucky enough to have the freedom to choose, protect it. That’s how you grow and stay true to what you’re really looking for.

What’s next for you?

It feels like a true ending to that chapter of looking back. I had a baby during the first film and I am pregnant now. It’s as though a personal cycle is over. I’m ready to explore new ground. We’re developing a flamenco musical and it’s something I’m excited about.

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