18/07/2025 - The film, based on the workers' struggles of the 1970s in the Basque Country, will compete in the New Directors section and features actor Jan Cornet and filmmaker Oliver Laxe among its cast

Aro berria, the first feature directed by Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe, will premiere in the New Directors section of the 73rd San Sebastian Film Festival, which will take place from 19-27 September (more information here). The film expands on the world explored in her previous short film Contadores, presented at the Cannes Critics' Week in 2023 and selected at other festivals such as San Sebastián (in the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section) and Gijón.

Starring newcomers Maite Muguerza Ronse, Óscar Pascual López, Aimar Uribesalgo Urzlai and Jon Ander Urresti Ugalde alongside Edurne Azkarate (Irati [+see also:
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According to Gorostidi, "Aro berria was born when I asked my parents about the community where they lived shortly before I was born. Inspired by their journey, the film follows a group of young activists who, after the fall of Franco's regime, abandon the workers' struggle and retreat into the mountains. The film draws on historical reenactments and documentary materials from the period, combining recreation with an immersive approach, it offers a sensitive insight into the situations depicted. This look back allowed me to understand the value of that collective experience, which encapsulated both the hopes and frustrations of the time, and which helps to understand the roots of debates that still resonate today.”

Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe (Eguesibar, 1988) studied Art and Film in Bilbao and Barcelona and received a Fulbright scholarship to study in New York. Her medium-length film San Simón 62 was the winning project at X Films programme at the Punto de Vista Festival in 2022 (read more here), and the following year, her short film Contadores won awards at film festivals such as the Guanajuato International Film Festival and D'A. Her previous works also include Pasaia Bitartean, In the rain and Unicornio.

Produced by Leire Apellaniz, through the companies Apellaniz y de Sosa and Señor & Señora, Aro berria was funded by the Spanish Film and Audiovisual Arts Institute (ICAA), with support from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and Creative Europe – Media, and participation from EiTB and RTVE. As a project, it participated in Next Step Semaine de la Critique 2023, Locarno Residency 2023, FIDLab, Indie Lisboa Co-production Forum, Ikusmira Berriak 2022, Abycine Lanza, Start Me Up ECAM, Noka Mentoring 2021 and MECAS Las Palmas. It will be distributed in Spain by Elastica .

(Translated from Spanish by Vicky York)