A beautifully rendered autobiographical tale, Romería is celebrated Spanish director Carla Simón’s touching portrait of family origins. In a bravura performance, Llúcia Garcia stars as 18-year-old Marina, who travels to the glittering seaside town of Vigo determined to uncover information on her father. Gradually tracking down his siblings, she slowly learns uncomfortable secrets about her parents’ unconventional life and turbulent past. Beyond a tour de force coming-of-age story, Romería offers a moving, trenchant investigation on how family connections form new identities.
“Simón brings down the emotional barriers with graceful assurance and an abundance of sun-dappled coastal imagery.”
– Justin Chang, The New Yorker
“Graceful, quietly intelligent filmmaking — including a touch of unsentimental magic realism.”
– Stephanie Zacharek, TIME
“Simón has an instinctive and almost miraculous way of just immersing herself within extended freewheeling family scenes.”
– Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“A quiet, visually creative coming-of-age story… a vibrant film about all the scandals, divides, and connections that can be contained within families.”
– Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
