Writer and director: Lucía Aleñar Iglesias
Forastera, (meaning ‘foreign’ or ‘stranger’) written and directed by Lucía Aleñar Iglesias is a gentle examination of the process by which grief is acknowledged and resolved.
Teenage sisters Cata (Zoe Stein) and Eva (Martina García) are holidaying with their grandparents Catalina (Marta Angelat) and Tomeu (Lluís Homar) in their home in Mallorca. Being the older of the two Cata is able to enjoy a holiday romance but, returning home after a night with her boyfriend, she is horrified to discover her grandmother Catalina has incurred a fatal injury after falling in the darkness.
Grandfather Tomeu slips into depression and resents his daughter Pepa (Núria Prims) suggesting a maid/carer might be of assistance. Pepa encourages her daughters to try on the immaculately preserved clothes owned by Catalina pointing out they are vintage and have come back into fashion. The effect is more than might be imagined; Cata adopts some of the mannerisms of her late grandmother – stroking her sister’s arm. Grandfather Tomeu observes the changes from a distance and begins to emerge from depression to interact with his granddaughter in a manner which suggests he might be mistaking her for his late wife.
The possibility Cata might be possessed by the spirit of her late grandmother is left unspoken but she continues to take on more adult characteristics, smoking and joining her grandfather at his regular card games. There is, however, the possibility Cata’s actions might stir up familial conflict rather than fill the emotional void left by the death of her grandmother.
The film is set in the sun-kissed Mediterranean and director Lucía Aleñar sets an appropriately languid atmosphere in which events unfold slowly and without drama. Scenes are set against a background of endless blue sea and jaw-dropping sunsets. No two sunsets, it is observed, are alike.
Director Aleñar is ambiguous as to whether there is a supernatural explanation for events. The spiritual is constantly balanced with the mundane; Cata boasts of spying a dolphin in the sea but later wonders if it was just a child’s inflatable toy. Ghostly lights flickering around rooms might be grandmother Catalina’s spirit showing satisfaction at the conclusion of events prior to passing onto her rest or might just be the sun reflecting off the sea .A ominous infestation of flies does not precede any practical problem. The most obvious paranormal event – Cata having a premonition her grandfather’s life is in danger- turns out to be a fake warning.
It is possible the apparent possession has a more mundane explanation – Cata is maturing and the changes are noted by others. Her mother Pepa advises her to wear a scarf to cover a love bite on her neck. Whilst Pepa might not be judgemental about her daughter seeing boys her own age she is clearly uncomfortable about the emerging relationship between Cata and her grandfather; the duo are aware they may be crossing a line and react like guilty lovers when their conversation is interrupted.
Throughout the movie methods of coping with grief unfold at an unforced pace. Cata confesses she is unable to shed tears following her grandmother’s death so the events may be a manifestation of her guilt at her apparent inability to mourn in the conventional manner. Friends of grandfather Tomeu who have suffered loss confirm their wives appear to them when most needed and that their presence will always be remembered.
The attention to detail and careful construction of the family’s home life sets a convincing background for the story. The subtle approach and sedate pacing, however, may allow audience attention to wander. Grief is an intensely personal emotion and methods of coping vary from person to person. The suggestion in Forastera that preserving a loved one in memory is the best way to ease the sense of loss is a valid approach making for a thought-provoking and visually ravishing movie.
Forastera had its world premier at the Toronto International Film Festival.
