International Competition
Mailin
María Silvia Esteve / Argentina, France, Romania / 2025 / 89′
Mailin, a 37-year-old single mother, wakes up in a forest that seems like a dream. Thus begins the telling of a fairy tale that gradually reveals itself to be a metaphor for her childhood. The story unfolds between Mailin’s past and present as the trial against the priest Carlos Jose, who abused her for 15 years, unfolds. A fate shared by 121 other women whose cases have been declared time-barred by the courts. Through her voice, Mailin becomes a spokesperson for all the other victims who cannot speak out. Despite the pressure, the woman manages to put aside her anguish for Ona, her 5-year-old daughter, who is unaware of what Mailin is experiencing.
Director María Silvia Esteve
Screenplay María Silvia Esteve
Editing María Silvia Esteve
Music María Silvia Esteve
Production María Silvia Esteve, Alejandra López,, Cristina Hanes, Radu Stancu
Produced by HANA Films in co-production with Ikki Films and deFilm
With Monica Villafañe, Ona, Leandra De Filippis, Augusto Gobbo
INTRASTEVERE CINEMA – Room 1, May 30, 10 a.m.
Q&A with the author
María Silvia Esteve
A director and producer from Argentina, she is the founder and president of HANA Films. Awarded by the Association of Spanish Filmmakers (AEC) for her work, her first documentary, SILVIA, premiered at IDFA in 2018. In 2021, her film Criatura won the Pardino d’Oro at the Locarno Film Festival and was selected in more than 100 festivals, including Sitges, Fantasia, MIFF and Gouna. The following year, in 2022, his short film The Spiral was screened at the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also selected by MoMA for the New Directors/New Films section, as well as by the Hong Kong International Film Festival, IDFA and other festivals.