Forastera

Forastera

Lucía Aleñar Iglesias / 2025 / 97 min. / Spain

Teenager Cata (Zoe Stein) is summering at her grandparents’ house on the Spanish island of Mallorca, swimming in the turquoise Mediterranean waters, teasing her younger sister, and flirting with a Swedish boy. But this vacation idyll is cut short when her beloved grandmother Catalina (Marta Angelat) abruptly passes away, hurling each member of Cata’s family into mourning. One day, she slips into her grandmother’s dress and feels an unexpected pull toward her  clothes and belongings. As the boundary between the living and the departed begins to blur, FORASTERA (Spanish for “stranger”) becomes a quietly suspenseful meditation on memory, grief, and the unseen forces that continue to influence our lives. (synopsis courtesy of Film Forum)

  • Director

    Lucía Aleñar Iglesias

  • CRITIC'S PICK "ENCHANTING... An exquisitely deconstructed ghost story, a muted mystery that beguiles while remaining deeply grounded in its evocative setting."

    — Natalia Winkelman, The New York Times
  • ★★★★ LUMINOUS, SPELLBINDING... Tight and taut...a major discovery, handling grief with alluring stylistic choices that enhance the already remarkable narrative. If ghosts exist, Aleñar Iglesias has learned the cinematic sorcery to house them."

    — Carlos Aguilar, RogerEbert.com
  • "An unexpectedly tender ghost story."

    Filmmaker Magazine
  • “A rare, nuanced look at grief and growing up.”

    Cineuropa
  • “One of the most impressive debuts of the year.”

    International Cinephile Society
  • "A gorgeous film with a breakout performance from Zoe Stein. Absolutely breathtaking."

    From the Fourth Row
  • "Forastera is quiet, powerful, and elegant."

    Film Threat
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