Last September, we had the first details on what Summer 1993 and Golden Bear winning Alcarràs (read review) filmmaker Carla Simón was cooking up for a third feature. Yesterday, we learned via the Cineuropa folks that production on Romería began this month. Newcomer Llúcia Garcia and Mitch are toplining the project with supporting players in Tristán Ulloa (of Sex and Lucía fame), Janet Novás (The Rye Horn) Celine Tyll, Miryam Gallego, Sara Casasnovas and José Ángel Egido complete the cast. Described earlier as a neorealist flamenco musical, gem cinematographer Hélène Louvart is onboard here and naturally so is producer María Zamora.
Written by Simón, this follows Marina (Llúcia Garcia) as she travels to the Galician city of Vigo to meet her biological father’s family. Like her mother, he died of AIDS when she was very young. Through her encounters with her uncles, aunts, and grandparents, Marina attempts to piece together the story of her father and the love he shared with her mother. However, she struggles to do so, as her presence brings back painful memories of the couple’s drug problems, which her family is too ashamed to discuss. Yet, the teenage romance she develops with her cousin, Mitch, allows her to reimagine her parents and forge a connection with them. Using her mother’s diary, Marina creates a narrative that liberates her from her family’s shame and helps her understand the past.
