The Water

Ana (Luna Pamies) is 17 years old and lives with her mother (Barbara Lennie) and grandmother (Nieve de Medina) in a small village in southeastern Spain. She spends her time with her friends, a group of teenagers, smoking, dancing, drinking, and experiencing her first relationships. But Ana longs for freedom and wants to leave the village behind. Her mother and grandmother also once dreamed of a different future, but they remained in the traditional environment, which leaves little room for change. During a hot summer, a storm threatens to cause the river that flows through the village to burst its banks. Added to this are the grim tales of recurring floods, which are not uncommon in the region. According to legend, women in particular are in danger of being swallowed up by the water and disappearing without a trace. Just as the storm breaks, Ana falls in love with Jose (Alberto Olmo), a local boy who has just returned to the village. Ana must decide: does she flee with her love, or does she stay and confront the river - and with it the curse of her family and her village? The belief that a sacrifice must be made to appease the river is part of popular folklore, says director Lopez Riera, who returned to her hometown for her feature film debut. Since the story has been passed down orally, there are many variations. The director was inspired by the version she heard from her grandmother. Lopez Riera's desire to make films stems from growing up in a place with women who love to tell stories and love words. She also cast the amateur actresses in her village to appear in the film, with the exception of the roles of the mother and grandmother, which were played by professional actresses.