There’s something transcendental about the Balearics: in 2023, the European Short Film Award nominee Daydreaming So Vividly About Our Spanish Holidays by Christian Avilés brought us into that brilliantly saturated, oneiric world where the sun is always beating down and life never looked so sweet. The solemn surrender of its protagonist to his surroundings revealed something about these Mediterranean islands, which is repeated once again in Balearic [+lee también:
tráiler
ficha de la película], the second fiction feature film by Ion de Sosa (whose 2023’s mid-length film Mamántula made waves at San Sebastián and IFFR). Balearic is now enjoying its world premiere in the Filmmakers of the Present competition, held within the 78th Locarno Film Festival (running 6–16 August), capitalising on what intrigues us so deeply about the inexplicable.

In a storyline akin to a fable questioning modern ideals of self-preservation, four adolescent friends (Lara Gallo, Elías Hwidar, Ada Tormo and Paula Gala) stumble upon an empty mansion, complete with an enticing crystal-blue pool. Their day takes a turn when they decide to stay by the pool, only for a group of ferocious black hounds to emerge and attack one of the group, leaving all of them confined to the water and screaming in terror. The film then flips to de Sosa’s other storyline, which follows a group of wealthy adults – among them, the father of one of the trapped teens – as they enjoy a day out, eating and luxuriating, also by a pool. The group seems cool but uneasy, afraid to swim or say anything out of line, instead imbibing their perfectly vibrant cocktails while the earlier screams continue to haunt viewers.

It’s Saint John’s Eve and the mysticism of the day allows for permeation between the spiritual and so-called empirical worlds, resulting in strange occurrences: a balloon repeats secrets back to the group, while burn-marks on a tray of spilled paella depict the four petrified faces of the nearby teens. The juxtaposition of the two stories does much of the heavy lifting in demonstrating the latter group’s disconnection from reality and the haze that has turned them into bystanders in a world which requires their help, as per the scene where they wordlessly watch a helicopter fetching water from their pool to put out a fire – a symbol of the holiday – raging in the distance, about which they seem shockingly blasé.

Droning sound design by Yago Cordero further hints at a sense of otherworldliness, which seems to shine through, as if a warning or an omen sent from beyond. Not everything in this unravelling world will be seized upon by viewers, nor every connection made, undoubtedly resulting in a unique viewing experience for each and every audience member. But through these two stories, De Sosa is able to home in on the combination of hedonism and indifference revealed on this prophetic day, shot on 16mm film by Cris Neira in such a way that the warm, foggy nature of the film’s texture and colours seem to take over. It’s neither an empirical reality or a spiritual daydream, it’s a secret – or sacred – third storytelling form.

Balearic is a Spanish-French production by Spanish outfits Umbracle Cine, Apellaniz y de Sosa and Jaibo Films, in co-production with France’s La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma. World sales are currently up for grabs.