Romería

"Carla Simón’s gripping pilgrimage tackles Aids, parents and the legacy of secrets" - Guardian ★★★★

A darling of Spanish arthouse cinema, Carla Simón’s third feature – nominated in 6 categories at the 2026 Goya Awards – is the concluding episode of the filmmaker’s semi-autobiographical trio of films exploring her upbringing and family history.  

Set on the Galician coast in the early 2000s, the film follows 18-year-old Marina, who travels to Vigo in search of information about her biological father; she is seeking his death certificate to be able to apply for a scholarship to film school. Reconnecting with her paternal side of the family, she discovers a huge amount of shame and secrecy around his death. Reading from her biological mother’s diary entries from her youth, Marina takes the opportunity to uncover what she can about her parents’ relationship with the estranged family, and discovers the reason for their secrecy.  

A master of understanding familial dynamics, Simón shoots intimate gatherings with astounding nuance, capturing unconscious conversations had through looks and body language. In tandem with Hélène Louvart’s poetic, sun-soaked cinematography, Romería encapsulates the nostalgia, eagerness and rebelliousness of adolescence, all the while exploring a pivotal era of the director’s own self-discovery in this stunningly personal reverie of a film.