When a River Becomes the Sea (2025)

[Cremildo]

Catalan filmmaker Pere Vilà Barceló talks about rape in “When a River Becomes the Sea.” But he never, ever intended to show it.

“We’re focusing on trauma and the process of healing. It’s a long and complex journey that many women shared with us in great detail – sometimes even more so than the assault itself,” he tells Variety.

Premiering at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, his intimate drama is about “moments that don’t appear in news headlines,” he explains.

“It explores the margins of the emotional, psychological and social aftermath that often remains invisible. For us, this wasn’t only a cinematic choice. It was a matter of respect.” +