When a River Becomes the Sea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Pere Vilà Barceló
- Laura Merino
| When a River Becomes the Sea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Catalan | Quan un riu esdevé el mar |
| Directed by | Pere Vilà Barceló |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Produced by | Xavier Pérez Díaz |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Ciril Barba |
| Edited by | Xavier Pérez Díaz, Pere Vilà Barceló |
| Music by | Jonathan Darch |
Production company | Fromzero |
Release date |
|
Running time | 183 minutes |
| Country | Spain |
| Language | Catalan |
When a River Becomes the Sea (Catalan: Quan un riu esdevé el mar) is a 2025 Spanish film directed by Catalan director Pere Vilà Barceló.
Gaia (Claud Hernández), a student of archaeology, experiences trauma after being sexually assaulted by a friend. Facing difficulty recalling it and expressing herself, she withdraws from those closest to her, including her father (Àlex Brendemühl). Gaia commences a process of healing with the help of her professor (Bruna Cusí), gradually enabling her to recover and regain her sense of identity.[1]
Cast
- Claud Hernández as Gaia
- Àlex Brendemühl as Gaia's father
- Laia Marull as the mother of Gaia's friend
- Bruna Cusí as Gaia's professor
Production
The film was produced by Xavier Pérez Díaz, who also co-edited it.[2] It was co-written by Vilà Barceló and his wife Laura Merino.[2] Vilà Barceló stated in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter that inspiration for creating the film emerged when he felt that he needed to use his facility as a filmmaker to address "gender-based violence" after meeting with victims of sexual abuse.[3] He noted that he started developing the film approximately eight years prior to its release.[3] Its production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
Release
Selected among the titles selected for the Crystal Globe Competition at the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF), the film premiered on 8 July 2025.[3][5] Àlex Brendemühl received the Best Actor award at the festival for the film.[6] For its Spanish premiere, it made it to the 'Official Section' lineup of the 70th Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci).[7]
