Fifteen years into his career, Carla Subirana unveiled his first feature documentary to date at a major European festival. He described his earlier work Nadar (2008) as a fictional documentary, and now Sica as fiction grounded in documentary methodology. He frames both formats as two sides of the same coin and believes they are interchangeable approaches rather than separate genres.
The newest film follows a fourteen-year-old girl who hopes the sea can restore her body after her father’s shipwreck. She embarks on a voyage to uncover the truth behind her father’s death, a painful journey of self discovery. The production took place along the Costa da Morte in La Coruña, a coastline infamous for its treacherous waters. Subirana recalled visiting the area in 2016 and felt moved by its emotional resonance, which convinced him to set a film there.
Both Sica and 20,000 Bee Species made an appearance at the Berlinale, signaling that Spanish women filmmakers continue to gain prominence on a prestigious stage. The festival often serves as a launchpad for new talents, with examples like Carla Simón, Pilar Palomero, and Alauda Ruiz de Azúa. Subirana, though, remains focused on the craft rather than chasing accolades.
Insufficient presence of women
The participation of women in cinema was already a talking point when Nadar premiered. While progress has been made, statistics still show a significant gender gap. The imbalance cannot be fixed overnight, and ongoing efforts are essential to keep momentum going.
If Sica was shot by a Catalan director in Galicia, Samsara — selected for competition in Germany but not in the official lineup — is a Galician project filmed between Laos and Zanzibar. Lois Patiño’s newest film cycle explores birth, life, death, and rebirth, weaving together religious and philosophical ideas about understanding different cultures. It presents a juxtaposition: a Buddhist monastic community and a group of women working on seaweed farms.
The film stands apart with a hypnotic overture that leans toward experimental cinema. Patiño drew inspiration from pioneers like Stan Brakhage and the late Derek Jarman, and the work reflects a fresh trajectory for his artistic practice. Traditionally tied to Galician folklore and legend, his recent output also ventures into broader cultural landscapes. Patiño has often described himself as a traveler, interested in breaking the monoculture that dominates screens today and proving that alternative vantage points can teach valuable lessons about life.