23/10/2024 - Actress Marta Nieto makes her directorial debut with a heartfelt and sensitive feature in which she plays the lead role and tackles the personal grey areas for the mother of a trans child

Marta Nieto is one of the most talented actresses in Spanish theatre and film, having won the Best Actress award in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival for her work in Madre [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
film profile], for which she was also nominated for the Goya and the European Film Awards. Brave like other colleagues (Paz Vega, Sara Sálamo and Carolina Yuste) who have jumped, or are jumping, into the tempestuous field of directing, she is also aware of her little experience in this task. The performer not only directed the short film Son as a practice run for a future feature film, but also applied for seed programmes such as D'A Film Lab Barcelona and the Spanish Film Academy Residencies programme, where she took part in the first year. Becoming Ana [+see also:
trailer
interview: Marta Nieto
film profile] is the result, which has finally made its competitive debut in the 69th Seminci in Valladolid.

In this film, the actress introduces and plays the Ana of the title, who divides her time between her job as a museum security guard and looking after her daughter Sonia (played by Noa Álvarez), the result of her relationship with a Frenchman (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart). Her child also starts to show an uncomfortableness with her gender assigned at birth and begins a process of identity rediscovery in which Ana is involved while dealing with her custody.

On this basis, Nieto creates a portrait of a woman haunted by several issues, with child transsexuality in the background. Through the conflict of the social environment changing the generalised and reductive binary view of her child, she herself must begin to see the world - and above all her own life - in a new light and not only as an exclusively devoted parent. As a result, we are faced with a double transition, as one will push the other: from the son and the mother - who has pushed aside her dreams, pleasures and ambitions, hidden behind her mission as a carer - towards her deepest and freest self.

Hidden like the dark side of the moon is this half of the central character in a heartfelt, intimate, close and emotional film, which also talks about job insecurity, shared custody and the healing role of art in helping us to get out of crisis situations.

Although it is in danger of being compared to the other Spanish title 20,000 Species of Bees [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Estíbaliz Urresola
film profile] because it also deals with child transsexuality, Becoming Ana chooses to leave this issue in the background (the family here perfectly accepts little Son) and -helped by animation techniques and a mise-en-scène that uses close-ups, blurring and reflections to convey the chaos, confusion and bewilderment of the central adult character- emphasises the need we all have to see our dreams come true, even above the limitless dedication to our loved ones.

Becoming Ana is a Spanish-French co-production by Elastica, Avalon, Mr. Fields and Friends Cinema and Studiocanal, which manages its international sales. It will be released in Spain on 13 December by Elastica.

(Translated from Spanish by Vicky York)