MATRIA

SPAIN | 2023 | COLOR | DCP | 99’ | GALICIAN

Ramona. A 40 year-old woman in today’s Galicia. A woman who is constantly working but she can’t even make rent. Álvaro Gago bases her on a real person of his own life, but it is hard to question her realism. The cinema of Ken Loach and the Dardenne brothers is always a sacred icon in such stories, but in this film there’s something courageously new: Ramona isn’t instantly likable, she is foul-mouthed, confrontational, self-destructive. Her character makes her difficulties even worse. And that’s where the film thrives, underlining how an entire life of hardship can transform you. A literally panting drama about people produced by a system which deliberately sustains them as barely pieced together ruins. I.D.

DIRECTOR: Álvaro Gago
SCREENWRITER: Álvaro Gago
DoP: Lucía C. Pan
EDITOR: Ricardo Saraiva
PRINCIPAL CAST: María Vazquez, Santi Prego, Soraya Luaces, E.R. Cunha “Tatán”, Susana Sampedro

ÁLVARO GAGO
Director, editor and screenwriter of Galician origin. He studied Drama in Chicago and Direction at London Film School. His short film, ‘Matria’, deals exactly with the same story as this one, and was nominated for a Goya Award. This is his debut feature film, while his next film ‘Porto Allegre’ is on its way.

FILMOGRAPHY
2023 Matria