Gender-based violence remains a pervasive social challenge. The conversation often centers on the problem itself, yet the perspective of victims seeking remedy and vindication is rarely explored. The Valencian filmmaker Pedro Pérez Rosado tackles this silence by letting the victim’s voice take center stage. His film, titled Quatre raons, is being shown today, Wednesday, at 20:45, at Kinépolis as part of the Alicante Film Festival.
Rosado describes the work as a form of revenge that has often been silenced. He notes that the victim should not be forced to endure cruelty or humiliation in silence. This project, his second feature in Valencia, was written with Lilian Rosado and features a cast led by Cristina Plaza, Mercedes Sampietro, Loren López, and Jordi Ballestero. The director emphasizes that maltreatment encompasses more than physical violence; it includes psychological harm and can occur in intimate, professional, or familial settings, affecting spouses, coworkers, and parents alike.
In the story, eight years pass after a pregnant woman endures abuse at the hands of her husband, leaving her in a vegetative state. When the family fights for the chance to safeguard their daughter, the memories of trauma resurface. The film follows the survivor as she processes past violence and envisions how justice might unfold, challenging the notion that healing requires permission from external authorities.
Rosado explains that, every day, people wake up to news of women harmed, disappeared, or worse, and a quiet pause often follows outside town halls. The screenwriter, Lilian Rosado, points to a broader system that attempts to support women, yet many essential steps and resources remain underutilized or underfunded. She adds that violence has no color and can take many forms, so the film’s palette naturally reflects a spectrum of experience rather than a simplistic black-and-white view.
For Rosado, who also works on other features like Bad someone A woman with magnificent wings, addressing abuse is emotionally demanding. Critics sometimes call the film disturbing, a label that dishearts the filmmaker. The writer notes that disturbing depictions can still be truthful and that the goal is not to shock for its own sake but to illuminate a reality that deserves attention.
Valencian Roll
The director and screenwriter reflects on moments of light within darkness, yet acknowledging that seeking help is not straightforward. Barriers persist, with doors not always opening for those facing severe abuse, and voices sometimes swallowed by silence. The creative team acknowledges collaborators like the Valencian Institute of Culture and local government bodies that supported the project, recognizing the practical limits that exist even in a region known for its resilience.
Quatre raons is expected to be released in Valencian later this summer. The film was shot in Valencia, following the director’s previous work that explored similar themes. The producers hope for a Valencian-language release, understanding that while this may restrict certain distribution channels, it also represents a deliberate step toward normalizing the conversation around gender violence and its impacts. The project remains a testament to local cinema that seeks to speak honestly about difficult issues rather than offering easy answers.