NEWS CENTER_The film “Water” (El Agua) is the first feature-length fiction film by Spanish director Elena López Riera. The film addresses male domination over women's bodies and memory through local myths. In an arid geographical environment, the director turns the myth that the river "takes women" upside down, conveying to the silver screen the story of three generations of women who break the wall of silence.

The events of "Water," which had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and received wide resonance, take place in the town of Orihuela in southeastern Spain. By employing the geographical and cultural symbols of the land where she grew up, director Elena López Riera reveals the hidden links between natural phenomena and gender roles.

Patriarchal oppression woven with myths

The film is based on an old tale passed down through generations in the town for a long time. According to this myth, every few years, when the river that passes through the city overflows, it sweeps away and takes with it some women who "carry water" inside them.

The patriarchal mentality in the town justifies and legitimizes social oppression by linking women's pursuit of freedom, their rebellion, or even their disappearance to a supernatural "curse."

The experience of three generations of women with silence

Through the stories of the grandmother Angela, the mother Isabella, and the young Anna, the film explores the wall of silence that has been passed down through generations of women. Unlike the mother and grandmother, who in the past experienced the cruelty of the river's waters and the strict customs of the town, the young Anna does not submit to this old tradition, but moves driven by the enthusiasm of first love and the desire for freedom. Anna defends her right to her body and her future, and rebels against the conservative atmosphere of the town.

"Water," by blending the aesthetics of documentary cinema with magical realism, reinforces its narrative by including real testimonies of women from the town speaking about the river myth.

The film shows women's struggle to control their destiny at a time when the rising waters break the restraints of tradition, using a smooth cinematic language with a political character.